Persona 4: Fear Itself (On Hiatus)
by The 7th Renegade
Summary: The moment 15 year old Julie Amano moves to Minneapolis, she could tell that something was going to happen. Upon awakening to the power of her Persona, Izanami, and claiming the ability of the Wild Card, she along with her friends will search for the demon who has plans on destroying their city... that will lead to the end of the world by Fiends. Slight AU.
1. Act 1

**Persona 4: Fear Itself**

Summary: August 16, 2010 was the beginning for Julie Amano after moving to Minneapolis, Minnesota. Rumors of vicious animals that attack people at night become something of a new feature for her in this town. However, what's strange about these attacks are that after a person is attacked, they begin to behave like animals. What else is new is this new power of hers known as Persona, granted to her by Philemon, a wanderer of the conscious and unconscious mind. Finding herself in the line of protecting ordinary humans from the likes of these monsters. However, what she and her friends will learn is that the real monsters... are themselves!

 _~Only when we are no longer afraid do we begin to live.~_ -Dorothy Thompson

 **NOTE: I hold no ownership of Persona or any of its content, though this story is an original (sort of). All rights to Persona belongs to Atlus. All OC's of this story, which will be the main cast, are owned by me, however.**

* * *

 **Act 1: First Day**

 **-Unknown Train-**

Pieces of her vision slowly began to collect as her consciousness began to awaken. An unknown aura waved around her as her eyes slowly began to open, her palm catching the grasp of her forehead that was slightly aching. Once her eyes had fully opened, she had found herself inside an unknown room far beyond her own knowledge.

However, as she looked around, she noticed that not only was this was a room, but a train car. If she had only one sort of emotion to react on, it was most likely confusion.

GIRL: ~Wh-What the...?!~

It was most definitely a train, but what was odd about the train was the blue color scheme. Never has she been on any kind of transportation system where its view and appeal bore only one color. This was something that she wasn't used to.

GIRL: ~Why on Earth is everything blue? Where am I?~

A lead of questions began to pour into the girl's head.

As she looked around, it was then that she caught sight of an unknown figure for whom she had never seen before, let alone could even trust. However, just by staring at the figure did she not feel any hostility or wave of aggression. A peaceful aura radiated from the individual, but the girl was weary of this.

The figure donned a white business suit that was normally worn at work, but she could identify that the figure was a male. He bore shoulder-length brown hair that was tied in a ponytail and what was notable of his appearance was that he wore a white butterfly mask that was split to cover half of his face. An eager yet warm smile surfaced on his face as his eyes met with hers. A shiver ran down her spine but she felt as though this man could not be of any danger to her. Still...

MYSTERIOUS MAN: I am sorry to have disturbed you, my dear. Do not be alarmed.

For once ever since their eyes made contact, he spoke. His voice was delicate yet mature, bearing wisdom beyond his years.

MYSTERIOUS MAN: For you see, I have summoned you to this realm. This place is the Velvet Room. It exists between dream and reality, mind and matter... My name is Philemon and I will always be with you on your journey. Would you care to introduce yourself?

The man known as "Philemon" directed his full attention to the girl. What was this all about? Why did he summon her to this Velvet Room? Was it all a dream? Still, it didn't seem dangerous, so for now, the girl would have to introduce herself.

GIRL: My name is Julie Amano.

The man caught onto her name and her accent. Such a splended, British accent she carried in her tone of voice.

PHILEMON: You have such a nice accent. If I may ask, are you from England?

JULIE: ... Um, yes, actually. However, both of my father is half Japanese and half British-Caucasian. My mother is a full-blooded Caucasian.

PHILEMON: Intriguing. Anyway, I have summoned you here to tell you of your fate, milady.

JULIE: Fate? What fate? What are you talking about?

Philemon directed her attention to a deck of tarot cards that were mysteriously displayed before her eyes. All the cards were faced down on the table, their Arcana hidden from view. Julie had heard of the Major Arcana and if possible, could tell each one even with their portraits being faced down.

PHILEMON: You see, there were three people who bestowed the Wild Card ability. Originally, a number of people who were capable of summoning a Persona were able to summon more than one, but it seems that has changed. In the year of 2008, I witnessed three guests of this room who bestowed the ability of the Wild Card.

Before Julie could ask a question regarding to a "Persona", Philemon had already swiped one card from the deck. He observed the card, with its Arcana facing away from Julie. She observed him and acknowledged the seriousness in the tone of his expression. Something must not be good.

JULIE: What is it?

As she asked, he threw the card into the air and in a flash, a light blue light encircled the card, causing it to suspend in the air. It wasn't shocking for Julie since most of everything she had witnessed was rather supernatural. The card turned over to reveal itself as the Devil Arcana.

Having some religious belief, Julie did not feel anything good relating to the card.

PHILEMON: The Devil in the upright position... It seems that you will encounter a mysterious being who holds great pride and greed. I also see a card beside it as well.

As Philemon said, another card began to magically appear beside the Devil Arcana. Slowly, its Arcana was shown as the light dimmed around it: the Tower.

PHILEMON: The Tower in the upright position as well... Great calamity will fall upon you as you begin a new life. You will follow a destiny that has been set for you and as you walk, you will meet new faces and explore new territories that you have never seen before. Which leads me to this...

Suddenly, Philemon leaned forward to Julie, stretching his hand towards her chest. However, as his hand came closer, it suddenly phased through her chest, creating a gleam of blue light around the area it had entered. Julie did not know how to react to this. It was strange but the process did not ache her. Why so?

He brought his hand out of her chest, the light around it dimming and eventually fading to reveal another Arcana. It felt as though Philemon was reaching for her heart.

He observed the card, an intrigued look embellishing his face and turned the card over for Julie to see. She was surprised to know what her Arcana was: the Fool.

JULIE: The Fool?

Philemon nods.

PHILEMON: Yes, but this Arcana is your secondary Arcana. All guests who bestow the Wild Card ability will have this Arcana as their second one. Besides, you have one Arcana that determines you.

He crushes the card with his palm as it burns away into ash. The ash in his hand eventually lit aflame, giving rise to a new card once the flames had dissipated. The new Arcana revealed itself as Justice, something that also caught Julie by surprise.

PHILEMON: Ah. It seem your main Arcana is the Justice. Previously, the guests of this Velvet Room held different Arcanas than compared to you. One held Death, the other held the Sun and the last one wielded the Empress.

The Arcana vanished from sight and Philemon resumed in his speech.

PHILEMON: Still, you will be guided into a new life, but you will be chosen to fight against an evil force that prevails your way. However, you will not be alone, for you will have allies that will be with you along the way. But please be reminded of this old saying, _"Only when we are no longer afraid do we begin to live."_

That old saying... Julie couldn't deny that she had heard it from somewhere, but... Where did she last hear it from? More importantly, why was Philemon telling her this?

PHILEMON: I believe the hour strucks quickly. This will be the only time where we meet in person, but do not fear for I am always with you. Also, another one will hold this room together and he's very familiar with those who hold the Wild Card.

Suddenly, the lights had gone out and it felt as though the train had came to a halt, which was something new it had done since she found herself on it. Despite the darkness, Julie could hear Philemon's voice as it ranged around the darkened environment.

PHILEMON: Farewell, Julie...

As his voice resonated in her eyes, Julie felt her consciousness slip away once more...

JULIE: Not again...

 **-August 17, 2010: Tuesday: After School-**

Today had ended rather quickly. There wasn't much for Julie to do but being the new student, she was practically the center of attention, especially when it came to her accent. How could the faculty and staff not address her ethnicity as Japanese and British? Wasn't it clear enough through her accent that she bore more than one racial background?

Julie had worn the standard uniform for Riverside High: a white dress shirt, a black school single-breasted jacket, plaid skirt, white knee-high socks and black slippers. She wore a purple ribbon to keep her mid-length blackish-brown hair tied and carried light green eyes.

JULIE: I didn't expect to explain myself to a lot of people. It felt so odd telling everyone, "I'm 1/3 of Japanese and 2/3 of British-Caucasian descent."

A sigh escaped her lips following that sentence. With nothing else to do, Julie grabbed her belongings from beneath her desk while fixing her unruly hair that had begun to frizz following an encounter with a sweaty jock who didn't take "no" for an answer. A twinge of annoyance activated each time Julie thought about the encounter. If it hadn't been for those two boys who came to her rescue, she think the jock would've made his way with her. Thankfully, the situation didn't escalate that high.

As she removed herself from her desk, she was stopped a familiar sound that she had heard earlier. Turning her back to the voice, she caught sight of the two males who rescued her from the jock this morning.

The first one had spiky brown hair that was lighter than Julie's, emerald green eyes and milky-white skin, wore a maroon school jacket with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, black pants and white sneakers. The one beside him was taller than his friend, had a slight tan complexion, brown eyes and spiky black hair. He wore the standard Riverside High uniform, with the addition of black suede shoes, black gloves and diamond earrings. Between the two, the boy with the earrings was probably more handsome than his friend. Julie noticed a motif on his school jacket with a man performing a high kick wearing a gi. If Julie recalled correctly, the motif meant that he belonged to the Karate Team or one of the martial arts teams.

BOY IN MAROON JACKET: Hey there! Remember us? Your heroes who saved you from Justin the Monster?

Julie giggled since it was a fitting joke to describe the jock who harrassed her.

JULIE: Of course I remember you. You two are also in my class. By the way, you two never introduced yourselves to me.

BOY IN MAROON JACKET: Oh yeah! We didn't, huh? Well lemme start! My name is Clayton Lavistor. I'm a member of the soccer team here in our school.

Intriguement was read all over Julie's face.

JULIE: Really? Which position are you?

FEMININE VOICE: Team manager.

Out of nowhere, the group turned to their backs to catch the sight of another classmate of theirs from their class. She appeared to be an African-American young woman with mid-length black hair, hazel eyes and caramel-brown skin. She was the same height as Julie, but probably an inch taller. She wore the same uniform as Julie but with the addition of black stockings.

Julie turned back to Clayton and his friend and noticed a twinge of annoyance on Clayton's face.

CLAYTON: Ashley... What are you doing? Can't you see we're trying to talk to the new student?

ASHLEY: Yeah. But that can wait. Besides, I've came back to get my skates.

The moment Ashley said that, Clayton's face turned white.

CLAYTON: Y-Your skates...?

ASHLEY: Yes! My skates! I need them for figure skating practice today! Remember? You asked me if you could borrow them for God knows what reason?

By then, his friend looked at Clayton rather confusingly.

BOY WITH EARRINGS: Don't you have them, Clayton? I reminded you before we got here to bring them.

Clayton looked at his friend and back at Serena. With a nervous gulp, Clayton reached into his backpack, pulling out a brown bag with a trembling hand. He extended it towards Ashley, who grabbed the bag. However, the moment she touched it, she felt something off with its texture. More specifically, the inside of it. She could feel several threads and fiber, along with the feint sensation of liquid. Something wasn't right.

CLAYTON: Welp! There's ya skates! Gotta go! Let's go Ian!

Before Clayton could make the first move, he was pulled back by Ashley, who grabbed the collar of his shirt.

ASHLEY: Hold it!

She opened the bag in a haste, quickly drawing a look of astonishment as she pulled her gloves out of the bag. Before her were not her skates but disheveled pieces of mess mangled beyond recognition that she held in her hands.

ASHLEY: What the-?! My skates!

Ashley turned her head to Clayton, who was trembling in fear, with a glare of anger directed to him.

ASHLEY: Clayton. ... What the hell happened to my skates?!

CLAYTON: Uhhhh... Y'know, this is a really funny story. You're probably going to laugh.

ASHLEY: We'll see.

CLAYTON: Well, um, last night, I came home late. I thought I had put the skates in the bag a-and didn't think to check to s-see. So by this morning, I went to look for them and when I noticed that they weren't in the bag, I ended up playing a good game of tug-of-war with Rocky over them, which explains the dog saliva.

A grimace of disgust towards the saliva caused Ashley to drop them as she smeared the saliva on the wall. However, that didn't change the emotions she was demonstrating before them. Julie hadn't met this girl for five good minutes and she could see that the girl was not one to be pushed over.

ASHLEY: You didn't put them in the bag?!

CLAYTON: W-Well, like I said, I was tired! I mean come on! Do you really need those skates for practice?

ASHLEY: Yes, you ass!

The sudden harshness caused Clayton to jump a little.

ASHLEY: Yes! I need my skates for practice! Without them, I can't practice today!

CLAYTON: W-Well, um, I guess you're just going to have to find some. See ya!

In a matter of seconds, Clayton took off in a hurry.

ASHLEY: H-Hey! Wait!

She could chase after him, but given how fast he went, it would be impossible to catch up to him.

ASHLEY: *growls* The next time I see him, I'm going for the neck!

She turned to Julie, after calming herself, and introduced herself.

ASHLEY: Oh right! My name is Ashley Lowry. I'm on the figure skating team and I sit beside you in class.

JULIE: I know. It's a real pleasure to meet you.

Julie turns to Ian.

JULIE: By the way, you haven't introduced yourself to me yet?

IAN: Oh! My apologies. My name is Ian Ricardo de Luca. I'm captain of the Martial Arts Team and um... Let's see, what else should I say?

Despite his formality, it was very clear that Ian was kind of shy. Whether this was a pretty boy act or not was very unclear to Julie.

ASHLEY: How about telling her that you're also the smartest guy in our grade and your family is from Italy?

JULIE: That's right. I've noticed it when you've introduced yourself. But smartest guy?

IAN: Well, I am pretty smart.

ASHLEY: Uh, pretty smart? How about scoring a 31 on your ACT and always having the highest grades on all tests and exams?! Last year, the two of us were on the top ten list after we took the final exam and he placed first while I was on fifth.

Ian's cheeks began to redden.

IAN: C-Come on, now! You're embarrassing me!

ASHLEY: *giggles* Sorry. But come on, Ian. A first impression is always the one you need to make the best of.

IAN: Now you're starting to sound like Clayton. Which reminds me, I need to find him. I'm sorry about your skates.

ASHLEY: Don't worry, it's your not fault. After all, you did remind him.

IAN: Okay. I hope to see you again, Julie.

He shook her hand and departed from the classroom. Now it was just Julie and Ashley, who were standing beside each other and turned to face each other.

ASHLEY: Well, it's a pleasure to meet you. Have you decided on any clubs you would like to be on?

JULIE: I don't know. Back in Inaba, there weren't as many as after school activities as it is here, but I've always wanted to join a club.

ASHLEY: Heh. I know that feeling. Because of the school's popularity, it offers a wide array of afterschool activities, even sports like croquette and badminton.

JULIE: Is that so? Well, I suppose joining a sports club wouldn't hurt, but I was really looking for a non-sport related activity, like journalism or photography.

ASHLEY: Oh. So those piqued your fancy, huh? Well, the journalism and photography club won't be looking for new members until the 22nd, but I know you need your own state-of-the-art camera.

And just like that, an animated conversation was made between the two. It seemed like after an encounter where Serena was going to kill Clayton, the two girls who knew very little of each other became friends.

ASHLEY: Oh yeah. I need to go to the mall and get some skates for practice. Why not come with? You might find some cameras that you'll need for photography or journalism?

JULIE: Sounds like a plan.

-Amano Residence-

Julie stepped inside of the household, removing her shoes from her feet and placing them by the door. As she walked into the home, she saw her father sitting in the living room, watching the news. She walked closer to the living room, eventually catching her father's attention with her footsteps. He turned to his daughter, bearing a smile on his face the moment he spotted her.

HANBEI: Julie! Welcome home. How was your first day?

She walked over to the couch where her father sat, removing her backpack and school jacket.

JULIE: It was okay. I made a new friend. I went to the mall with her today to help her get some skates for the figure skating team after hers got... ruined. I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to find a state-of-the-art camera for photography.

HANBEI: Oh? You're thinking about joining a club?

JULIE: It has been on my mind for some time. I've even had in mind to join a sports club.

A surprised look embellished Hanbei's face.

HANBEI: Wow! I've never seen so much ambition! You're just like your cousin, Maya.

JULIE: *giggles* By the way, how is Maya?

HANBEI: The same as ever. She's working for a new magazine company after her boss fired her.

JULIE: Figured. Maya's not a bad person or employee for that matter, but I've never liked her boss. She was always jealous of Maya.

HANBEI: Yeah, but I'm proud of her. She makes me feel like she's my own child.

JULIE: That's good to know. Oh! Um, when is mother getting back?

HANBEI: Probably somewhere around midnight. *sigh* You know that woman, always busy.

A slight upset tone was clear in Hanbei's voice. Julie's mother, Cathryn, was working for a magazine article known as "In Today". It was a job where Cathryn had to go around town and interview people regarding various occurrences in town or out of town. As of now, Cathryn was around the town asking people about a case that has been going on for some time.

Now that her mind was on the subject, she looked over to the TV screen to see the news broadcast. It was discussing another "attack".

NEWSWOMAN: And now for the news. Police have found another victim who was mauled to death by an unknown creature last night. The victim was 45 year old Nathan Copeland. Many know him as the owner of Copeland Works, a construction company here in Minneapolis. About three days before his death, his company went bankrupt after a lawsuit from a few employees suggesting that they were not receiving the listed amount of pay for their work.

A picture is shown of the CEO of Copeland Works, Nathan Copeland. Given his age, he had short brown hair with a few white hairs mixing with it, brown eyes and rosy skin. He wore a black business suit with a red tie and seemed to give off a professional radiance that highlighted his title as CEO.

NEWSMAN: This isn't the first time that a victim has been attacked by these unknown animals. As we know, there have been a total of two attacks: 32 year old Holland Helfer and 21 year old Blaine Porter. However, Copeland's attack marks as the first death from these attacks.

NEWSWOMAN: Police have yet to identify the creature responsible for the attack. However, this is also not the first for police have been receiving trouble in trying to find the creatures responsible for this. As a matter of fact, because of these persistent attacks, police are questioning whether these are animals or humans who are doing this.

NEWSMAN: What's also intriguing is that the victims began to display behaviors and mannerisms of fear. Some psychologists say that it's from the attacks, but some hold opposite dispositions regarding it.

Another attack... This wasn't new to Julie at all. Her mother had been researching these attacks since the moment they moved to Minneapolis. Apparently, there have been two attacks from unknown attacks that have been occurring in the city of Minneapolis. The police have yet to identify the creature and much of the public has raised awareness to these attacks.

HANBEI: Another one?

Julie turned to her father, who was clearly absorbed in the information.

HANBEI: *sigh* It's starting to get dangerous. We haven't been here in less than two days and the news is crawling with these reports. At some point, they might end up placing a limit on when to go out at night, which doesn't sound like a bad idea.

The news continued but left the case of the attacks. For now, the city of Minneapolis was experiencing a case like none other. What were these animals? Were they being controlled? Why are they attacking people? So many questions poured into Julie's brain that she wasn't able to answer them, with or without an answer period.

As time flew on, Julie and her father ate a quick dinner and Julie went to bed. Turning off the lights and dressing herself in her night garment, she pulled back her lavender covers and laid herself on her bed, pulling the covers back to shield her body from the cold air. But before she could go into a deep slumber, her eyes drifted off to a mysterious blue butterfly that sat on the outside of her windowpane.

It was a shimmering blue butterfly with glistening wings and an aura that was radiating the shining heavens. It beheld such majesty in its appeal, not a single tarnish on its wing to ruin its glory. It was almost as if the butterfly was surreal. Julie had never come across butterflies such as this one. Was it real? Where did it come from? What kind of species was this butterfly?

The moment Julie's eyes made contact with the butterfly, it flew away, leaving a stardust trail behind it. Still captivated by what she had witnessed, Julie closed her eyes and begun to sleep, but the image of the blue butterfly remained in her head.

 **A/N: That is the end of Act 1. So, Philemon is in the story. I figured to bring him into the storyline since the newer titles of Persona have shown him as a mere butterfly. But there's no need to fear for Igor will appear, with a new and dashingly handsome male servant. Also, after watching some trailers and gameplay of Persona 5, it had inspired me to make some elements of that story equal to this one, just without the main cast being thieves, needing to remove their mask to awaken their Persona, using two weapons and fighting Demons.**

 **Anyway, I figure I should tell you some of the main story plot. The enemies of this story are known as Fiends. Taking some inspiration from Ninja Gaiden, I've decided to use the enemy, Fiends, as the main enemies of this story. As you all know, every game has their theme. Persona 3 was death, Persona 4 was truth and Persona 5 is said to be liberation. For Fear Itself, the main theme is "fear", though you probably figured it out. Persona 3 Testament's theme ties in with Persona 3, so the main theme is "death" but also "faith". Also, be warned that this is an original, except for the fact that I do not own Philemon or Igor. Plus, I wouldn't call this story AU. Eventually, another Persona 4 story will tie in with the main cast of Persona 4 and Persona 4: FI, mainly as a retelling. Review!**


	2. Act 2

**Act 2: The Devil**

 **-August 18, 2010: Wednesday: Lunchtime-**

As soon as the bell for lunch period had rang, every student who had been waiting to leave their class immediately departed to the lunchroom. Julie had began to grab her lunch and walk to the lunchroom as well until she was stopped by a familiar face: Ashley. A welcoming smile surfaced on Julie's face as she approached her new friend.

JULIE: Hello Ashley.

ASHLEY: Hi, Julie. Are you going to the lunchroom?

Julie nods.

JULIE: Of course.

ASHLEY: Well, you don't have to. How about we go to the roof and talk? Don't worry, the teachers won't mind.

JULIE: Okay then.

The two then walked out of the door and into the hallway, laughing and conversing along the way.

 **-Rooftop-**

The scenery from the roof of the school was divine. From above, Julie could see the school grounds. A statue of the man who found the school stood tall and proud in all of its glory. The fragrance of rose bushes wafted through the air for their scent to be noticed by wandering noses. The sky itself was crystal blue, with not a cloud to tarnish its majesty. It was indeed a beautiful day and Julie found herself actually liking the idea of eating on the roof with Ashley. The two sat on the vents, opening their lunch boxes: Ashley had bowl ramen with tempura and egg on top, while Julie had a beef bowl with some tofu around the edge to give some nutrition.

JULIE: This was a good idea!

ASHLEY: Yeah! I eat out here a lot during lunch, except for days where there's bad weather. Clayton and Ian normally eat out here with me and we talk about some things, but I guess they're kind of busy.

Ashley then nonchalantly grabbed her chopsticks, grabbing one of the dumplings and taking a bite out of it.

ASHLEY: It's better that way though. Since he ruined my skates, I've been on the edge a little to kill him.

JULIE: Goodness! I hope you don't mean literally?

That question caused Ashley to chuckle.

ASHLEY: *chuckles* Of course not! Despite how he is, he is my friend. I'm not really going to kill him. Although I hold no qualms in beating the hell out of him.

JULIE: That I can see.

The two laughed and conversed for most of the five minutes spent. However, after they finished laughing, that was when Julie learned that she was going to be in for a raging rollercoaster ride as Ashley opened her mouth to say this.

ASHLEY: By the way, have you seen the news about that CEO named Nathan Copeland?

Julie looked at Ashley and noticed that her entire attitude had changed. She seemed to be serious about this, evident by the smile turning into a frown and the unnerving gaze her eyes gave Julie. It seemed like this type of news left Ashley unnerved and the longer it took for Julie the answer didn't seem to soothe it one bit.

JULIE: Yes. He was mauled by some animal last night.

ASHLEY: Yeah. Apparently, this is the first case where a victim actually died from an attack. The previous two victims survived it and suffered harsh wounds, but something about them later always caught my attention.

A heavy silence fell upon them. Julie took a few glances over her shoulders to see if anyone was eavesdropping. Fortunately, no one seemed to be in the vicinity. When she turned back to Ashley, she continued.

ASHLEY: Every victim who was attacked began to show signs of pure fear. Almost as if they're scared of everything around them.

JULIE: You're right. I think I heard some of our classmates addressing it with a name. What was it called again? ... Fear Malady?

Ashley nods.

ASHLEY: Yeah. Psychologists and doctors say that it's caused from the attacks of those animals, but there has to be something deeper into it. I can understand one attack scaring someone like that, but a second one? And what's crazier is that I've heard from people who knew the victims personally. They said it wasn't the attacks they were afraid of but they seemed to be scared of everything. Eventually, they were sent to a mental hospital because it was so bad!

JULIE: I can imagine. If you're attacked by some unknown creature, you tend to lose some sanity.

Ashley shook her head by that comment, hinting that her theory regarding the attacks went much deeper than Julie's.

ASHLEY: No. It's not that. What I've also learned is that before each victim was attacked, there was some kind of conflict going on with them.

Now this caught Julie's interest. She leaned forward to listen in on the information.

JULIE: Like what?

ASHLEY: Well, you probably heard of Copeland's bankruptcy when he was sued by his employees and lost the court case. The previous two victims seemed to be undergoing other conflicts as well. I think that girl, Blaine, was tested positive for HIV.

JULIE: What?! B-But how?

Ashley shrugged her shoulders.

ASHLEY: Hell if I know. A lot of people labeled her as a "whore" but Ian said that he met her once before. He said she was a really nice person. She even went to this school and some of our teachers said that she was an achieving and promising student. It's odd to think that someone would even start this kind of rumor about her.

JULIE: It is indeed.

Another heavy silence fell upon them. The conversation had took a different turn the moment Ashley acknowledged the case. However, Julie couldn't say that it wasn't a good idea that she did. It gave her a lot to think about regarding what was going on in this town. That was when she remembered the words that Philemon had told her when they met. She recalled his words as clear as day.

PHILEMON: _~Still, you will be guided into a new life, but you will be chosen to fight against an evil force that prevails your way. However, you will not be alone, for you will have allies that will be with you along the way. But please be reminded of this old saying... "Only when we are no longer afraid do we begin to live."~_

Was this what he meant? Reminiscing Philemon's words only confused Julie even more. What is the meaning for all this happening? It was clear that stupidity was read on Julie's face as she felt the sensation twinging in her brain.

Seeing that the silence was too much to bear with, Julie decided to turn the subject around.

JULIE: Oh that reminds me! Ashley...

Ashley turned to Julie with a curious look on her face that replaced the solemn gaze she radiated earlier.

ASHLEY: Yeah?

JULIE: I didn't know you liked Japanese food.

ASHLEY: Huh?

JULIE: Your lunch.

Julie pointed to Ashley's lunchbox, causing the former to look at her food and back up at her.

ASHLEY: Oh yeah! Well, my mom is a chef and she is very cultured when it comes to cooking. Quite often does she make these dishes for me, but it seems that Japanese dishes catches her fancy the most.

JULIE: Really? What about your dad?

ASHLEY: Well, my dad owns a dojo in this city and he's taught me kung fu ever since I was little as a means of self-defense. I still practice it today but I'm also taking figure skating lessons.

Before Julie's question of interest could be mouthed out, a familiar voice was heard.

CLAYTON'S VOICE: And what a relief that is!

The sound of Clayton's voice caught the two girls by surprise as they turned their backs to see Clayton walking before them with a wide grin on his face. Ian was beside him, greeting the two girls with a smile.

ASHLEY: Oh hey guys. What're you doing out here?

JULIE: As long as it's been, we thought you two were in the lunchroom.

The moment Julie said that, the two looked at each other with unnerved looks and back at the two.

CLAYTON: Well...

Question marks floated above their heads, taking note of their grimacing faces and the sounds of their stomachs roaring in hunger.

ASHLEY: Let me guess, you two didn't make it to lunch, did you?

And with that, they nodded their heads.

IAN: Yes, in large part to Clayton.

Surprised, Clayton turned to his friend with an utter expression of astonishment, something that made Ashley giggle a little.

CLAYTON: Wha-?! Why are you blaming me?!

As that question came out, Ian turned to his friend with a serious look on his face.

IAN: Unless you have forgotten, allow me to refresh your memory. If you hadn't tried to skip in line while the teacher was looking, we would've gotten our lunch. I keep telling you that Ms. Cartwright has watchful eyes!

CLAYTON: Oh come on! As if you didn't anything wrong! Your fangirls were slowing us down if you weren't so nice to them!

IAN: That's out of my control and I'm nice to them because it's sweet to know that they're putting in effort for me to recognize them. Although I will admit that it does get tiresome.

Sighs came out of both their mouths as they looked at the two, taking their eyes onto the girls and their lunches. The moment their eyes caught a gaze at the juiciness of the meat and aromatic scent, their hunger grew stronger and their appetite uneased. So hard was it to contain their hungry expressions that the recognition on the girls' faces were followed by them pulling back their meals.

ASHLEY: Uh, no. If you're that hungry, you shouldn't have been skipping in line when the teacher is looking dead at you.

JULIE: And letting fangirls halt your process.

However, the restriction of access only proved to be a failure as the boys began to show signs of bargaining. However, Clayton's was stronger as he fell to knees with his hands connecting by linking their fingers from across each other while Ian simply walked towards them with an earnest expression.

CLAYTON: Please! I'm starving to death here! I don't have any money to buy concessions, please!

ASHLEY: No!

IAN: Come on, Ash. We really need something to eat. How about just a bite or two? I promise.

Turning to Ian, Clayton looked at the girls and nodded in agreement, bringing himself from the ground and gently smacking Ian's shoulder.

CLAYTON: Right, Ian! Just a bite or two!

However, skepticism read the girls' faces. Could they really trust them to only have a bite of their food? For one, Julie was hungry herself and didn't eat breakfast this morning, so she needed this meal. However, she couldn't just leave them starving to death. She turned to Ashley, tapping her shoulder to catch her attention.

JULIE: Maybe a bite or two wouldn't hurt.

Saying that caused Ashley to respond in shock.

ASHLEY: Wha-?! Are you serious?! I'm hungry myself!

JULIE: I know, but we can't deny them food. It's important to eat after all. Plus, they helped me once before, so why not repay them?

Ashley would protest, but thinking on Julie's words actually began to change her mind. Of course, she couldn't remember a time where Clayton had actually helped her but she did remember the times where Ian had helped her out and couldn't just leave him in the dark. On the other hand, Clayton and Ian were surprised to hear Julie say that.

CLAYTON: Really, Julie?

IAN: Th-Thank you.

Julie turned back to them and smiled.

JULIE: You're welcome. Anyway, I guess you can have a little bit.

Once she said that, the two began to lighten up in their faces. Eventually, Ashley shook her head, but relented to the idea, turning her head back to the two after looking down at her food.

ASHLEY: Just two bites! No more than that!

The two bowed their heads.

IAN: Of course.

CLAYTON: Yeah! Now gimme!

And like that, the girls gave their meals to them. Ashley gave her box to Clayton while Julie gave Ian hers. As soon as the boys caught grasp of the meal, their appetite couldn't be contained and after one bite of the deliciousness and delicacy of the meat that savored through their taste buds, it seemed all restrictions were lifted. With just one bite, the two mauled the food down like cannibals, the sounds of the meat being crushed by their teeth resonating. And at that moment, they had forgotten completely about all else around them, including what Julie and Ashley said.

The moment they noticed the two going beyond the limit of what they were supposed to eat, they didn't hesitate to address them for it.

ASHLEY: H-Hey! We said two bites!

Suddenly, Ashley's voice broke the boys out of their mindless state. They turned to the girls to noticed the annoyed and angry looks on their faces. The answer didn't clear their confusion until they looked at the boxes and noticed how much they ate and hesitated to give the girls back their food.

As they feared, the moment they gazed down at their food, they were appalled. Julie only had remnants of tofu in small to medium-sized particles in her box with small slabs of meat that were clearly bitten off of judging from the teeth marks that Ian left while Ashley was fuming over an empty box that left not a trace of food inside. This ultimately infuriated her as she stood up along with Julie, eyes leering to the two as they wore fearful expressions.

ASHLEY: Didn't we say "two bites"?! What happened to "two bites"?!

JULIE: Seriously! How am I supposed to make a meal out of small, bitten pieces of tofu and meat?!

Ashley turned to Julie.

ASHLEY: Well at least you have a _small percentage_ left!

She then turned to Clayton with a piercing leer. Out of all times he has seen her angry, this had to be the one where he really screwed up.

ASHLEY: Clayton practically vacuumed the entire box! There's nothing in here! Not even a bitten off egg!

She finished that sentence by throwing the box at Clayton, who cleverly dodged it. Then Julie turned to Ashley in reassurance.

JULIE: Don't worry. Didn't you say that this school sells concessions?

As she said that, Ashley's eyes lit up in hope as she turned back to her friend.

ASHLEY: Oh my God! Yes! I even have my wallet on me! Don't worry, we can make the concession stands before the lunch bell rings!

It seemed that once she said those words, a faint sound was heard. Eventually, the sound grew louder and the girls wore expressions of astonishment once they recognized the sound.

ASHLEY: Crap! That's the lunch bell! The concession stands are closed!

JULIE: Oh bloody hell!

The moment their distressed face wore off, the leers that were presented before the boys appeared again.

CLAYTON: Listen, we're really sorry! We were hungry!

Ashley responded by raising her voice.

ASHLEY: We were hungry too, you idiot! I didn't eat much for breakfast, so I was waiting to eat my meal!

JULIE: At least you ate something for breakfast. I was in such a rush to get to school that I didn't have the time to make breakfast.

The sound of their stomachs rumblings continued to torment them while pushing their anger towards the boys even further. Seeing their faces and hearing their stomachs roar, the two wore guilty faces. It wasn't their attempt to eat all of their food, but they were hungry. Still, it didn't excuse the fact that Julie and Ashley were probably hungry themselves and hearing their stomachs, they knew that they needed to do something right about it.

CLAYTON: We are really sorry about this! We didn't mean to eat all of your food.

ASHLEY: Well you did. Now we're gonna have to wait until school ends to eat again.

JULIE: And I was trying to be nice and you two took advantage of it.

IAN: No! Seriously, at our earnest, we apologize. We were so caught up in our own hunger that we failed to see yours.

That was when Ian struck on an idea.

IAN: Oh! I know! How about Clayton and I treat you after school? We'll pay.

The moment Ian said those words, the two quickly changed face. There was no second thought about this and the two knew that they were at an advantage.

 **-At Callisto Mall-**

ASHLEY: Of all places and you two bring us to McRonald's?

A tone of irritation failed to go unnoticed in Ashley's voice, along with Julie's curious look. The four were inside of Callisto Mall, which was a popular site in their city. Though they live in the city, there were some surburban areas in this city. It just so happened that the group all lived in the suburbs, except for Ian.

The mall was pretty busy that day, so there were a lot of patrons running around the building. However, given the population of this city, it was no surprise for the mall to booked up. That was something that Julie was used to since she lived in London until she was five. She could remember the numerous amount of people she met and befriended until moving to Inaba. Living in a countryside such as Inaba was a great definition of a "small town".

CLAYTON: Well, what were you expecting? A five-star restaurant?

ASHLEY: Not really, especially in your budget.

Those words were of great offense to the 5'5" young male.

CLAYTON: Hey! I got a job!

ASHLEY: Don't you mean you _had_ a job?

There was a short pause.

CLAYTON: ... O-Okay! So I got fired once?!

ASHLEY: Apparently for you, once counts as few.

CLAYTON: Grrr... You're lucky Ian decided this because you would be paying for your own damn food!

Clayton took his seat beside Ashley as Ian returned with a tray of burgers, fries, sodas and one plate of salad. He placed the tray on the table and took his seat.

IAN: And here's your food: one hamburger with no mayo, medium fries and medium Sprite for Julie; one veggie burger with a side of salad and sweet tea for Ashley; two chicken sandwiches with extra ketchup and onion, a large fry and a large vanilla shake for Carter; and a 16 piece nugget combo with medium fries and medium juice for me.

He looked around at the three with a generous smile on his face.

IAN: Alright. Enjoy.

As he said that, the four grabbed their meals and began eating. However, once Ian could take a bite of his food, the ringing of his phone was heard. Everyone turned to him as he reached into his pocket and examined the caller. An anxious expression wore his face.

IAN: It's father. Hang on.

With that said, he stood up from the chair and walked off to a good distance so the group wouldn't hear his conversation with his father. A sigh escaped Clayton's lips.

CLAYTON: *sighs* Again?

Curious by that question, Julie turned to Clayton, her gaze catching his attention without alert.

JULIE: Huh? What do you mean?

While at first confused by her question, he realized that Julie wasn't too familiar with all three of them. Ashley turned to her friend as well as Clayton answered her.

CLAYTON: Oh yeah. You don't know about Ian's family do you?

JULIE: His family?

CLAYTON: Well, how do I put it? Um... You see, Ian's father is very notorious.

JULIE: Oh really. For what?

CLAYTON: *sighs* Well it's not a secret, so I shouldn't be hesitant. You see, Ian's father is a notorious Italian gangster named Joseph Ricardo de Luca.

JULIE: A gangster?

Clayton nods.

ASHLEY: Yeah. He's very infamous too. The police have a hard time trying to convict him for any of his crimes and whenever someone testifies against him, they never show for court or they wound up missing.

The end of the sentence left shivers down Julie's spine.

JULIE: Really? That's amazing! So what did you mean by "again"?

Julie turned to Clayton with a curious look, though she could read the hesitance on his face. However, he pulled through to give her an answer.

CLAYTON: ... Sometimes, Ian is given the task of helping out with his father's business/Mafia. He's not involved with the gunfire or anything, at least that's what he told me, but with Ian being Joseph's only child and son, his father expects a lot out of him. As a matter of fact, his father is expecting him to take over the Mafia after he dies. Sometimes, Ian has to leave school early if something goes wrong. But from what I hear, most of the things that goes on isn't that bad. Plus, you've seen him for yourself. He's a really nice guy, has an advanced sense of vocabulary and is a skilled martial artist with good looks. He's practically the embodiment of perfection.

A chuckle complimented his statement, but not enough for Julie to notice something else. She could tell by the tone of his voice that while that statement was meant as a joke, there was some reflection of envy as well. She never recognized or noticed that tone until now, but what caught her was when she heard it as he addressed Ian. Was Clayton jealous of Ian?

ASHLEY: C'mon Clayton. He's not perfect. He's a human like all of us and I know there have been times where he made mistakes.

CLAYTON: Yeah. I know. I've been friends with him since we were four and I know how he is. But seriously, the dude's father has tons of money and is a notorious gangster. I'm sure he's probably living big.

ASHLEY: Is he now? Don't forget how a mafia works. There's death involved and you're practically a walking target for police and rival gangs. Don't you think there isn't one day where he is not forced to watch his back so nobody would shoot it? I know if I was in his shoes, I would lose my mind. That's too much pressure for someone his age!

CLAYTON: I know, dammit! It was just a joke! Besides, I've joked with Ian about this before and he's always agreed. It's not like I'm badmouthing him, he's my friend.

ASHLEY: I know he's your childhood friend, Clayton, but what I'm saying is that it's something to not make a common joke out of. Plus, I've always seen Ian and the moments I do, he looks exhausted. Don't forget that I was his friend before you.

Eventually, Ian's presence was slowly coming to view and Julie warned the two so they would cease their argument.

As Ian approached the table, he pushed back his chair, grabbing his to-go bag and placing his food inside while grabbing his backpack from the seat. He looked at the three with an apologetic look.

IAN: I'm sorry. Father just told me that there's going to be a cargo coming in and he wants me to check. Have a good day.

After giving their valedictions, Ian departed with a distressed look on his face that went noticed by Julie. She could tell that what Ashley proclaimed was true. Being the son of a gangster seemed hard for someone like Ian, especially given his character. Though Ian seems to be talking more, the times she had spent with him, she always noticed that he wouldn't say more than five words and the only times he did, it was either an apology or if he was asked something. He was a nice person, still, so it must've been twice as painful for him to endure it.

Shaking off the feeling, she resumed to her conversation with her friends.

 **-Unknown Area-**

The sudden sensation of cold tile replaced the feeling of a firm mattress with velvet covers. An eerie sound of wind bared too much resonance for one's ears to adjust. Goosebumps from the cold winds eventually caused Julie open her eyes as she found herself inside a realm she held no familiarity with.

JULIE: Wh-What…? Where am I?

All around her was nothing. She found herself laying on a purple platform with a blackened sky above her and a strong, cold wind blowing furiously. Was this a dream?

Dressed in her night garments that consisted of a long-sleeved purple shirt with black shorts, the young Goth gathered her strength and got up from the ground, only to be pressured by the strong force of the wind. Still, she put one foot ahead of the other and continued the process of walking aimlessly into nowhere. It was better than just standing around like a duck.

However, she had to figure out where she was going and what was to be expected as she made it up there. This area felt out of place enough, so whatever was ahead of her would be triple the expectation of strange. However, she didn't know what it was. She could feel that she was not alone in this strange place, as if another presence walked amongst her. To finally prove this, a mysterious and masculine tone of voice was heard.

UNKNOWN VOICE: …Why do you walk these grounds? ….What is it that you wish to see?

The voice alarmed her, but more so in preparation rather than shock.

JULIE: Who's there?!

The voice continued, seemingly ignoring Julie's question as she turned in all directions to find the voice.

UNKNOWN VOICE: Are you not afraid, young lady? This is a dark place, filled with mysterious beings that may do you harm and yet you still traverse? Why do you resist fear?

Though she was listening to the voice, she continued in her trudge, completely in the dark of where she will go. Suddenly, she felt a raindrop touch her forehead and the process was followed by rainfall that completely drenched the young woman.

JULIE: Great.

Then suddenly, Julie found herself holding grasp onto the handle of an umbrella. No, rather a parasol. The parasol was colored black with violet flower petals blooming on the surface. The handle was violet itself, but glossed in its color as well. Truly, a beautiful and magnificent piece of work in hand. However, as beautiful it may be, she found herself at a loss of words when she saw it.

JULIE: What the-? Where did I…?

As if things couldn't be any stranger than they already were, Julie heard a low growl coming from behind her and turned around to see what it was. By doing so, she was welcomed by a pair of glowing, red demonic eyes and the undeniably radiant shine of sharp teeth that belonged to a carnivore. This was no ordinary animal.

A gasp escaped her lips as she backed away, the creature slowly following. The voice came once more.

UNKNOWN VOICE: If you wish to live and see another day, you must call upon the power of your Persona and eradicate this creature.

JULIE: What? Persona?

The name was all too unfamiliar to her. What did he mean by a "Persona"? Was this some kind of cruel joke being played on her?

Before she could even mouthed out the words, she found herself surrounded by a mysterious and blinding purple light that circled around her. The rushing wind blew past her as the light grew brighter, a deafening sound that accompanied the light's presence. What was going on?

JULIE: Per-…

Before she knew it, she found herself beginning to mouth out something, surprisingly staying calm under pressure. How was this happening?

JULIE: So-…

A strange sensation erupted throughout her entire body. If felt odd in more ways than one. It felt as though that something was… being released from her. More specifically, from her mind.

JULIE: Na!

Suddenly, the wind grew stronger and the light shined brighter. She hadn't noticed it, but the creature before her slowly backed away by the light. Behind her came out an unknown entity of great power. The figure bore some resemblance to Julie, evident by her long black hair that stood longer than Julie's but its face was covered by a metallic helmet with golden broaches that had sakura petals clipped onto it. The entity wore a skin-tight black suit with no sleeves and portions cut to reveal the hips and thighs. The figure had black cloths attached to white lace bands that extended from the wrist to the elbow and wore thigh-high black boots. The figure also wore a white belt with a white cloth skirt that extended to the ankle.

For some reason, Julie was unclear of what this entity was supposed to be but a name came in clear.

JULIE: Izanami…

Julie pointed to the creature off of impulse. Suddenly, the entity known as "Izanami" flew towards the creature in high speed. Before the creature could make a move, Izanami began to produce small green cyclone of wind from the palm of its hands that eventually shot straight at the beast. As soon it connected, a bloodcurdling shriek of pain erupted and the creature dissolved into black mass.

UNKNOWN VOICE: So… you can summon a Persona?

The voice came once more. As she heard its voice, she spoke back to it.

JULIE: Who are you? Why have you brought me here?

Suddenly, it chuckled at her questions and continued.

UNKNOWN VOICE: Time will tell my dear. But for now, I must depart. You have proven yourself an exceptional foe.

The grasp of consciousness slowly loosened as Julie's eyes weakened and her mind swirled around in circles. She found herself struggling to control her balance. Her mouth fell frozen, words failing to escape from her mouth. After a few stumbles, she fell to the ground.

 **-Velvet Room-**

The moment her consciousness began to collect, she was welcomed by the sound of a delightful melody accompanied by the tunes of a piano that played melodically, not a key missed or tapped accidentally. As her eyes slowly opened, she found herself surrounded in blue and just by looking out the windows, she could see that she was on a train.

JULIE: What on earth…?

Her voice was low following the exhaustion. She sighed as she realized that it was all a dream, but she began to get the feeling that there was more to the dream as she looked before herself at the table in front.

MYSTERIOUS MAN: Welcome to the Velvet Room, young lady.

Before her sat an elderly man who sported a black suit with white gloves to complete the aristocrat appeal. The only other features that strode from this was how his facial features appeared. His eyes stuck from its sockets, he bore an incredulously long and pointy nose. The top of his head was bald, with streaks of white hair at his sides. Beside the man was a rather handsome young male who appeared to be around Julie's age. He bore smooth black hair and pale skin, but an abnormality of his appearance would be his golden eyes. He wore a blue short-sleeve shirt with navy blue slacks and black suede shoes. He also wore blue gloves and carried a compendium in his hands.

MYSTERIOUS MAN: My name is Igor and this young man is my assistant, Matthew. He will be assisting you in your journey.

Julie turned to Matthew and he bowed his head in acknowledgement.

MATTHEW: Pleased to meet you. I hope I be of great assistance to you.

IGOR: This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. I see you have already awakened to the power of your Persona and Izanami was a result.

Suddenly, a quote from Philemon echoed in her head once she met Igor. She ignored it at first but it continued to nag her until it piqued her curiosity.

JULIE: Excuse me, but... are you the one who Philemon was talking about?

IGOR: Philemon? My, I haven't heard that name in ages! Why of course! I used to be a servant of his, but now I operate inside the Velvet Room. I do wonder what he has been up to. But taken you've already met Philemon, I suggest he already told you of what would happen?

Julie nods.

JULIE: He said that something would happen and only I would stop it. He didn't go into details though.

IGOR: Well, it should be enough. Besides, I am only here to tell you that my assistant and I will assist you on your journey as you battle through Fiends.

Fiends? For some reason, the name was already familiar to her. Was it that creature that attacked her in her dream? Igor continued.

IGOR: It is time that you departed for there is nothing else that I can say. I bid you farewell.

Before Julie could muster any words, lethargy had erupted and she found herself trying to catch her balance, despite that she was already sitting. Eventually, her vision turned black and she returned back to her bedroom, still under the covers in her black pajamas and Gothic room.

 **-Amano Residence-**

The sight of her darkly purple painted walls prompted the girl to breathe a sigh of relief that was accompanied by the sound of rainfall. However, she couldn't breathe just yet. Despite what seemed to be a collection of dreams were actually true events that Julie had took part in and could not ignore.

The messages from Philemon and Igor were real. Something was going to happen and she knew had to be attacks from those mysterious animals at night. But who was behind it all and why?

JULIE: Something still doesn't add up. If Philemon said that someone was behind it, then who is it?

Suddenly, an urge prompted Julie to get up from her bed and stare outside the window. There was nothing but rain as she looked, with some strikes of lightning that weren't close enough to produce the sound of thunder. For a second, Julie almost walked back inside until she caught glimpse of a silhouette standing in the middle of the street.

The moment she caught sight of the figure, she had to make sure that she wasn't asleep again. After a quick pinch on the arm that stung a little, she continued seeing the figure.

JULIE: Okay. So this is not a dream. But who is that?

The person appeared to be a male, probably around Julie's age. She couldn't identify who the figure was but he looked familiar. She could understand that she met him before, but… who was he?

After two minutes of staring the figure down, it suddenly vanished from sight as another flash lightning accompanied its disappearance. Julie jumped a little but quickly regained her composure. What was that thing?

 **A/N: Sorry, I kind of got into a rush when I was writing this chapter. So far, there are 27 views and one review, thanks to Shaman94 for making the review! I will continue with my Injustice story, but I love this story too. After watching some hours of RWBY, it reinspired me on my decision to give the characters battle outfits. Since Persona 5 is by far the only game where the characters are dressed for battle by default, why not do so for these characters? Review please!**


	3. Act 3

**Act 3: Where Fear Lies**

* * *

 **-August 19, 2010: Thursday: Lunctime-**

 **-Rooftop-**

CLAYTON: You saw what?

Before Julie were Ashley and Clayton, trying to collect the information they had received from her concerning last night. Of course, Julie never told them about the dream she had, but the figure that she saw was definitely a means of concern. However, the moment she told them about what she had seen, she could understand from the looks on their faces and uneven brow creasing that they were confused.

And quite naturally, Julie's exasperated breathing proved to be a sign of irritation that she would have to repeat what she had said.

JULIE: Okay. Let me say this once again. Last night, I saw a shadow outside of my house in the rain and it vanished once lightning striked. I don't know who it was but it appeared to be a male, probably around our age. He wasn't wearing our uniform but he appeared to be well-dressed. But I feel as though I've seen him before...

Turning back to the two, she hoped that they at least had some glimmer of understanding from they heard. Fortunately, her prayers were answered as they looked at her with curious eyes that separated from confusion.

ASHLEY: That's odd. When was this?

JULIE: Somewhere around midnight I believe. I had just woke up and looked out the window to see him.

A moment of silence fell upon them. Afterwards, Clayton began to speak.

CLAYTON: So it is true...

His off-the-wall sentence urged the girls to turn him with curious looks.

ASHLEY: What's true?

He turned to them and answered.

CLAYTON: Yesterday, I heard these guys talking about seeing things on a rainy or stormy night. They said that whenever it rains, they would see some weird-looking creature passing by but on a stormy night, they would see a person.

Chills blew through Julie's spine when she heard this. Normally, she never believed in urban legends, but if she witnessed something like this that could only exist in legends, then there was no need to dismiss it as a fallacy. But this was the first time that she witnessed a legend such as this one. She never saw any creatures during rainfall, but this was the only time she witnessed the legend at hand.

ASHLEY: Really? That sounds like some silly legend.

CLAYTON: Well, that's what I thought too. "This had to be some silly legend created by some nutjob with a depressive social life", but hearing Julie's testimony, there's no way it could be false.

ASHLEY: I don't know. This all sounds too mysterious to me. How can a creature appear every raining night and a person every storming night?

Clayton shrugged his shoulders.

CLAYTON: Probably a pattern I guess.

No. That wasn't it. Julie thought about what he said and began to analyze further into it. Now that she thought about, what was the meaning for those figures to appear? Her answer would come as she asked her friends the next questions.

JULIE: Hey Clayton. Did any of your friends happen to say anything about seeing someone from the news who was in the animal attack case?

Clayton turned to Julie and placed a finger on his temple as he drifted into thought. Eventually, his eyes widened upon retrieval and he quickly answered her.

CLAYTON: Yeah! One of my friends said that they saw Blaine one night before she was attacked! I think I heard these girls say that they saw Nathan Copeland walking around during a stormy night! But they said they saw him twice in one night and the night after next, they saw creatures.

Eyes widened when hearing his words. Was all of this true? Did these people really see the victims during the nights before their attack? What was the pattern to all of this?

ASHLEY: Wait! From what I'm hearing, it's like there is some sort of pattern. But what does it mean?

Finally, Julie had the answer.

JULIE: It's a warning.

The two turned to her as she explained herself whilst facing them.

JULIE: A warning of who will be next. Think about it, if people said that they've seen silhouettes that bore their resemblance on a stormy night and the next night they're attacked, wouldn't that be more of a warning?

As they caught grasp of what she was implying, they showed faces acknowledgement, but given the case, this was serious.

ASHLEY: You're right. But why silhouettes?

CLAYTON: Do you think there's some paranormal activity going on? Like a ghost or something?

Julie had never thought of that but could it be supernatural activity taking place? Philemon's words came to Julie once again and she was reminded of the Devil Arcana and his words.

JULIE: _~He said that I would encounter a mysterious being with great greed and power. As the Tower Arcana stood, he said great calamity would fall upon us and only I would stop it. Thinking on it now, there have been three attacks so far and one died from it. Not to forget that dream I had and the other one with Igor. Could this be what Philemon was talking about?~_

It was a question, but the answer was already there. Of course, Julie had no knowledge of who it was and what their goal was in doing this, but if it connects to her dreams, Philemon's words and the attacks, then she definitely could not ignore this. Thinking on it now, what Philemon said wasn't guidance, it was a warning, a preparation. He knew what would happen and he needed her to stop it. She did not know what he saw in her that made her so special, but whatever it was, she was tasked with the responsibility to do it.

She turned back to her friends as they returned their gaze to her. The moment she spoke, a great sense of authority and wisdom flourished her tone.

JULIE: It's going to rain tonight, right?

Both nod.

JULIE: Alright, then here's the plan. At midnight, we will visit each other and be sure to gather some kind of equipment. I'll bring a camera just in case. If there is something supernatural going on in this town, we need to find it and put an end to it. What I saw last night must've been a warning that someone will be attacked. I don't know where these attacks are going on or why, but we will find out and I need your help.

For a moment, they had to collect everything she had said and once they did, they knew that she was serious.

CLAYTON: Okay. I'll be sure to come. I want to see what's going on around here if it's putting my city in danger. How about you, Ash?

The moment her name was heard, Ashley turned to Clayton and back at Julie with questionable eyes. Julie knew that Ashley was having a hard time believing all of this. Naturally, she couldn't blame her and wouldn't be hurt if she considered the two insane. But what Ashley did next really surprised her.

ASHLEY: Alright. If there is some creature walking around here, I'll bring a practice jian just in case. I'm pretty good in Chinese swordplay, so I'll take care of myself. What about you two?

Both Julie and Clayton didn't think to bring any kind of weapon with them. As a matter of fact, they didn't know of any weapons to bring.

CLAYTON: I don't know. I'm not much of a fighter and I'm not too crazy about weapons, but I'll bring something with me.

JULIE: I'll think of something when I get home.

Ashley nods.

ASHLEY: Alright. Well, it looks like we're ghost hunters, huh?

CLAYTON: Yeah! Call me a kid for saying this but this is kind of exciting! If there is some sort of paranormal phenomena going on, then I want to protect my city no matter what!

ASHLEY: You're a kid!

The three share a hearty laugh and dispersed once they've came to an agreement. Now what was left was to begin to investigation. However, unbeknowst to them, as soon as they left, a mysterious figure with a green cloak emerged from the vents and watched as they left from the rooftop. A sigh escaped its lips as it vanished away in white smoke.

 **-Rain: Midnight-**

The rainfall poured heavy and was almost blinding to sight. There Julie stood on the sidewalk, wearing a black jacket with a long-sleeved purple shirt underneath, black pants, short black boots and purple earrings. She carried a lavender umbrella that she used to protect herself from the rain and had her camera around her neck. She was waiting for her comrades to show.

Eventually, one of them came running towards her view and stopped once they reached her.

ASHLEY: Sorry, I'm late. It wasn't easy trying to sneak out of the house.

JULIE: You and me both. Although I had it easier since my dad took some medication before he went to sleep. But where is Clayton?

The absence of a certain short male caused Julie to bore a questionable look on her face. Why wasn't he here? He was so estatic about wanting to meet and hunt for answers on the attacks, but he wasn't here.

ASHLEY: Clayton? Oh. You see, his dog, Rocky, tends to be on alert if someone or something approaches or leaves the house and whenever Clayton tried to leave, that dog would bark. Of course, he told me that he didn't get caught but with Rocky barking, he won't be able to leave.

JULIE: Well, at least he has a loyal dog.

ASHLEY: Yeah. But anyway, where should we start first?

The talk about Clayton almost made Julie forget their objective. For now, their primary objective was to find out what creatures are attacking the citizens of the city and see if they can prevent another attack from happening.

They began their search by taking a walk around underneath Julie's umbrella. Ashley was slightly taller than Julie, probably by an inch or two inches, but only up-close. For a moment, Julie felt like she was walking beside a giant, though that would be an exaggeration. After all, Julie was 5'3", so Ashley had to be 5'4" or 5'5". Anyway, their walk was quiet and productive. Well, minus productive.

So far, all they had come across was rain, lights and more rain. They hadn't found any clues or traces of a creature yet. At the moment, the excitement of this investigation began to diminish slowly.

ASHLEY: 25 minutes of walking up and down these streets and no sign or trace of where a creature may lurk. The production of this investigation is really getting tiresome.

JULIE: How about we go into the city and search there? We may have more opportunities of finding clues of an attack there.

ASHLEY: You're right about that but if we go into the city, it will take us probably all night and our parents may find out that we're not home. I don't think we should take our risks there. Besides, the streets at night in the city are not safe.

JULIE: Is it dangerous there?

ASHLEY: In some parts. This city isn't as clean as you would think. At night, there are thugs who lurk in the alleys and streets in the city and trust me, if you walk amongst their territory, they won't be too happy about it.

JULIE: That I can believe. Back in Inaba, there was this biker gang who would cause trouble and disturbance in the town. I wasn't close enough to hear them, but the kids who have heard of them would tell a story about their behavior. As a matter of fact, my friend, Chie, called me and she said that some kid beat up the entire gang.

Now this was something interesting to hear and it was by far the most interesting thing that happened to Ashley tonight. Still walking, Ashley listened.

ASHLEY: Seriously? How did it happen?

JULIE: Well, Chie really didn't go into details. She mostly gets her info from rumors, but she said that some mean-looking kid had beat up an entire biker gang. She said he's a middle-school student, too.

ASHLEY: For a middle-school kid to take on a biker gang and leave without as much of a scratch, that's damn impressive!

JULIE: Yeah. This was when I was moving from Inaba. A day before I moved, Chie called me about it. I thought it was incredible when I first heard it. To think someone so young would be able to go toe-to-toe with a menacing gang shows a lot of potential for the youth!

The light in Julie's eyes when she said this made Ashley a little confused. Why was Julie so impressed by this story? Of course, for a kid to beat up a gang was incredible, but the fact that he was capable of doing so was almost frightening.

ASHLEY: Glad to see it's so interesting to yo-.

Before Ashley could finish her sentence, Julie put an abrupt halt to their walking. Her eyes were concentrating deeply onto a figure before her and Ashley, though Ashley was oblivious to what she was looking at. As Julie's eyes focused in further, she pulled back with a darkened and unnerved look on her face.

ASHLEY: What is it?

She turned away from Julie to look as well. When she did, she felt her blood run cold and her breath weighing heavily.

ASHLEY: Oh my God...

Before them was the silhouette of a creature, but this was no ordinary creature. The beast stood taller and gruesome compared to anything they had seen before. It had horns on its head, a tail that swayed on its own, sharp claws that appealed as blades and whatever it was, it looked terrifying.

The two backed away slowly upon witnessing its view, with Ashley unsheathing her jian from its scabbard. The sword was merely a practice sword, so its steel was mere plastic, though with enough force could leave scars.

ASHLEY: What is that thing...?!

Julie shook her head.

JULIE: I-I don't know. But I feel...

Without a doubt, Julie could sense some recognition to the creature. Was this the same beast she saw in her dream? Was it responsible for the attacks?

On impulse, the two backed away from it but for some reason, it didn't follow. What was strange was that the creature was facing them, so it had to want to follow them, but it didn't. It just stood there. The two stopped when seeing that it wasn't paying them any mind. What was going on?

ASHLEY: Weird. Why isn't it coming after us?

JULIE: Better question is why isn't it attacking us?

MYSTERIOUS VOICE: Because it's not in your world.

Given the case of the attacks and just witnessing the beast before them, there was no surprise when the two jolted by the voice.

MYSTERIOUS VOICE: Do not be alarmed. I won't harm you.

The voice came from behind and they turned to face it. Before them was a mysterious figure wearing a green cloak, its face covered by the shadow. It approached them slowly and cautiously as Ashley slowly sheathed her sword. As the figure finally approached them, it removed the hood on its head, revealing itself to be a young girl.

The girl was their age, but probably younger and was shorter than the two. She had light blue eyes, milky-white skin and elbow-length black hair that was darker than both Julie's and Ashley's. She wore a green tribal, long-sleeved tunic with gold bracelets, black tights and short green boots. She also wore square-shaped earrings with gold rimmings and emerald gemstones, complimented with a green flower pin that was clipped to the right side of her hair.

Neither have seen this girl before, so they were weary of her presence. Something else to note was this mysterious sensation they got upon her approach. It must've been from her popping up out of the blue, but the two couldn't deny that her presence was... mystical.

MYSTERIOUS VOICE: My name is Tara. I'm not from your world but I've came after feeling the presences of a Persona here.

Julie almost gasped when she said the word "Persona". So that means that Izanami was not a part of her dream too! Of course, Ashley was confused.

ASHLEY: What are you talking about? Where are you from?

However, Tara couldn't help but to keep her eyes locked onto Julie.

TARA: Listen, this world is temporarily suspended in time and the creature you see before you is not in this world.

ASHLEY: What?

TARA: It's kind of difficult to explain. I'll let you know when we arrive in Hofu.

ASHLEY: H-Hofu? What are you talking about? Where is this "Hofu"?

Ignoring her question, Tara walked over to them, standing between the two as she held their hands. She then turned to Julie.

TARA: The power of your Persona is strong, so I need you to do this for us. Say this incantation first, "Thou art I and I am thou...", then call upon your Persona. It will send us to Hofu and there I will explain everything. Just clear your mind and focus on the image of your Persona.

Still, Ashley was confused. What was going on? She looked over at Julie with a confused yet unnerved look on her face.

ASHLEY: What is she talking about?! What Persona?!

However, Julie didn't respond. Turning back to see that the creature had vanished, Julie turned around. Following Tara's guidance, she closed her eyes and cleared her mind from all that was stocked there. An image slowly awakened and Julie could see Izanami in clear view. With a deep breath, Julie began to say the incantation.

JULIE: Thou art I...

The wind picked up speed, a resonating sound ringing through Julie's ears. Her grip on Tara tightened and so did Ashley's.

JULIE: ... And I am thou...

A white light beamed brightly, almost blinding Ashley and furthering on unnerving her. Was this all happening?

ASHLEY: What on earth?!

As the light surrounded their view, Julie finally felt the presence of an entity exiting from her mind, her body being free of all heavy weight.

JULIE: Izanami!

Briefly, the Persona, Izanami, emerged from the consciousness of Julie's mind and surrounded the girls in a brilliant light. Eventually, the light engulfed the three and as soon as the light dissipated, they vanished.

Her hands clenched onto Tara's, Julie could feel a strong rushing wind that was impossible to withstand without support. Slowly, she opened her eyes and found herself along with Tara and Ashley flying through a white space in straight forward motion. As a matter of fact, they weren't even standing!

Julie turned to Ashley to find her eyes still closed, possibly a little afraid of what was going on. She couldn't blame her. However, Julie looked back up and saw a stronger light before them that outshined the space they were in. So bright was it that Julie felt that if they had gotten a little closer, they would probably incinerate by approach more so than touch. However, she braced herself as the light's brilliance grew stronger by the second. Her heartbeat grew quick. Anticipation was formed as small sweat beads in the follicles of her hair.

JULIE: Here goes nothing…

Eventually, they came in contact to the light and all vanished around them. Realizing that she had closed her eyes, Julie slowly opened them and was in shock of what she saw.

 **A/N: So that's Act 3. We got to meet another member of the team: Tara, a 14 year old priestess with magic powers. For those curious, they have just entered into Hofu. I may have rushed a little when writing this because I wanted to finish the chapter, but I wanted it to end in suspense. So we get a glimpse of a Fiend. A little in-story information that you all must know is that Fiends are not able to attack outside of Hofu. However, their shadows can be seen on a rainy night, hinting that someone will be taken Hofu and likely to be killed by their Shadow. Anyway, in the next act, Ashley faces her Shadow. Stay tuned to see what happens. Review!**


	4. Act 4

**Act 4: Ashley Lewis**

 **Part 1: Mirror, Mirror on the Wall**

 **-Hofu-**

The realm they stood in was dark and haunting. The sky was pitch black, not obtaining a single stain in its color. There were no clouds and not a sun was up high, but there lied a large, bloodstained moon. The grounds held a sickly color of faded purple that would a bring chill to one's spine if they viewed it. Dust arose as the wind blew fervently in the realm. It was truly a haunting place. Though she held a straight face, Julie felt uncomfortable just standing around with the area's appeal reading "danger" in her head.

She turned to Tara and Ashley. The two had already opened their eyes, with Ashley's face darkening in fear by what she was looking at. For some reason, though, Tara didn't appear to be uneased by the environment. She released her hands from the two and walked slightly forward, at least to where she was still in visible contact and close proximity to the girls. The last thing that Tara wanted was to let the girls loose in a world they were not familiar with and a world that was obviously dangerous.

TARA: This is the realm of Hofu: the realm where fear exists.

She turned to the two with, replacing her straight face with a casual one, but still stern. The girls looked at her once she turned to them.

TARA: I also live here.

The following reactions were exampled as complete shock.

ASHLEY: Y-You live here?! Isn't this place a little dangerous?

JULIE: I thought you said Fiends walked here and a Fiend was that creature we saw back in our realm. Why do you live here and what do you want from us?

Tara turned away from the two, staring forward at an area that was pretty vacant.

TARA: It's not as if I was born here. You see, my realm was previously under attack by these Fiends. In the kingdom I lived in, I was called to come here and maintain control of the Fiends.

She turned back and walked to the two.

ASHLEY: Why would your kingdom send you out here? You're just one girl.

TARA: True. But being the daughter of a shaman, I had many responsibilities to take. I was trained to fight Fiends with my magic, but I cannot eliminate them. That was when I was told about the power of Persona…

Tara turned to Julie.

TARA: … the same power your friend here has obtained.

The following comment resulted in a confused Ashley to turn to Julie with questionable eyes.

ASHLEY: Persona? You have that power?

Julie nodded and turned back to Tara.

JULIE: But how do you know? Did Philemon tell you?

One of the two answers that Julie got from her second question was a puzzled look on Tara's face.

TARA: Philemon? I do not know a being of the name "Philemon". As a High Priestess, I can sense a power from someone that stands greater than my own. I happened to catch upon your power and it led me to you.

Though Tara answered her question, it brought Julie to wonder how she knows of Philemon but the priestess didn't. Maybe Philemon was a being that only worked with a specific amount of people, but Julie did not have enough information to go on. After all, Igor seemed to know of Philemon and spoke highly of him when they first met. Now that Philemon was set in mind, was this the prophecy he was talking to her about? "A realm where fear exists", Tara said; this had to be what Philemon was telling her.

She turned back to Tara.

JULIE: Oh. But why have you sent us here?

A puzzled look was read on Tara's face but cleared once she remembered the reason for why she brought Julie and Ashley to this realm.

TARA: Oh right. I almost forgot. Follow me.

Tara turned around and led the way as Julie and Ashley followed. After several minutes of travelling, the girls eventually came upon a castle that stood indifferent from any castle they ever knew or seen before. The castle appeared to be made out of ice with patches of snow on the ground, along with an icy cold wind that blew fervently. The design of the castle stood ominous and chilling, matching its appeal. It was almost as if the season of winter took place inside the castle. The castle stood tall with its length seemingly reaching to the sky if possible. For some reason, Ashley felt some lack of comfort as she looked at the castle. A chill blew past her and this wasn't because of the cold wind. Icicles replaced the blood cells in her veins and her feet were frozen in a block of ice. Her heart beat ran considerably faster than usual with a small hint of uneasiness accompanying all that she was feeling. There was something about this castle that made Ashley feel unwelcome to it.

She turned to Julie, quickly erasing the uneasiness of her face with a stern one. Calling out her name to get her attention, Julie turned back to Ashley, unable to see that her friend was anxious.

ASHLEY: Are you sure about this? I mean, what we've seen back in our realm, do you think it would be a good idea to go in?

Before Julie could answer, Tara turned to Ashley and stepped in Julie's stead.

TARA: No doubt that there are Fiends here. I can feel their presence. But you need not to worry, your friend holds the power of Persona in her and Fiends take damage to weapons, like your sword for instance.

Tara pointed to the jian that Ashley had sheathed in the scabbard. After a quick glance to her sword, Ashley looked back at Tara and to the castle. Still, she couldn't shake the feeling that the castle was probably unwelcoming. Not just to the three of them, but to her only. What was it about this castle that made Ashley feel unnerved?

Tara looked forward and began to explain the purpose of bringing them to the realm.

TARA: For as long as I lived here, there have been strange things going on in this realm. I felt the presence of weaker power sources enter through here by forced will and yesterday, this happened.

She concluded her sentence by pointing to the castle. However, what she said earlier caught the girls' interests.

ASHLEY: Wait. What do you mean by "weaker power sources"? Were there other people who have come here?

Tara nodded.

TARA: Yes, but not intentionally. It's impossible for someone other than your friend to enter this realm when it rains at midnight. Their power will not be strong enough to issue the tasks of doing so. I believe someone may have been sending them here.

The following reactions were shock.

ASHLEY: Someone has been sending them here?! Do they have the same power that Julie has?

Uncertainty was read on Tara's face.

TARA: I believe so. To prove this fact, she even managed to bring you into this realm. But what's strange is that I could only feel her power and no one elses. Maybe they haven't awakened to their Persona yet. I'm still in the dark about this. All I know is that someone has been sending people here and it's dangerous. One man even died here!

Nathan Copeland! That was the first name that came into thought. Regarding the cases, Nathan was the only victim who died from the attacks while the other two survived but suffered psychological wounds. Was someone throwing them in here?

Ashley turned to Julie.

ASHLEY: This explains why the police are having a hard time trying to identify the attacks! It must be because the victims were taken to this realm and were attacked here rather than our realm. But if that's the case, then someone or something is throwing people here intentionally.

JULIE: You're right. But I need to ask this…

Julie turns to Tara.

JULIE: If you could only sense my power from here, then how come I'm not a suspect?

For a moment, Tara hesitated. Eventually, she gathered her courage and answered her.

TARA: It… sounds a little silly, but when I felt your power… it was pure. I couldn't feel anything wicked from the power of your Persona. It assured me that you weren't the cause of all this.

JULIE: Pure?

TARA: Yes. That's why I had hoped you would help me in finding the one responsible for this. I can't stand to see another attack take place.

Tara brings her head down and turns away from the two.

TARA: But… if this sounds too scary or risky, then I won't pressure you. I can just-.

JULIE: I'll do it.

Tara felt a pressure build in her lungs when she heard those words. She turned back to the two with Ashley directing her attention to Julie. For once since they've been in this realm, Julie bore a smile on her face.

JULIE: I said I'll do it. I'll help you in finding the person whose sending people here. If they know of the dangers on doing this then they must be stopped. One person has died in here already and we can't let that happen again.

For a moment, Tara had to be sure that this wasn't a dream. She had never met someone from this realm before but she had a feeling that someone would reject her offer. She was surprised to hear these words come from her mouth. Julie approached Tara, placing a hand on her shoulders.

JULIE: You said that I can use a Persona, right? Then in that case, I'll help you in putting an end to this. We can't let this go on forever after all. That I promise you.

Tara smiled upon hearing her words and thanked her with a warm hug. Ashley walked up to the two, looking at Julie with a smile on her face.

ASHLEY: I'll help too. I may not have the capabilities in summoning a Persona, but I can fight.

Hearing Ashley say that, Tara released herself from Julie.

TARA: That's right! When you fight these Fiends, you're going to need more than your Personas for battle. The summoning of a Persona requires one to open their minds and free themselves from the human consciousness. However, the process is tiresome from what I was taught back in my realm and you may need that strength if we ever find ourselves in a rocky 'll need weapons to assist you.

Julie nods, pulling up her umbrella from earlier and taking out an iaito blade that was sheathed inside the handle. Ashley looked in amazement upon viewing it.

ASHLEY: Nice sword! Good to know you don't come unprepared!

Before Julie could turn to Ashley, she caught by the sound of a ferocious roar from the inside of the castle. The three girls turned towards the entrance that was pitch black in the inside but the roar was definitely louder from inside. The girls backed away a bit before two large beasts came upon from the inside and in front of them!

ASHLEY: Ah!

TARA: Fiends!

The two Fiends were both similar in appearance and height. They held black skin with red spikes sticking out in the arms and legs and they stood on all fours. They had long, red horns on top of their heads and sharp white fangs that could gnash any solid material without struggle and eyes as red as blood. Their claws were stained with bloodstain red that pierced through the ground.

In readiness, Julie prepared herself by bringing her blade to the front of her while Ashley unsheathed her jian and began twirling the blade as if it were a baton. The Fiends made their move.

One of them rushed towards Julie. Out of impulse, she manifested a purple aura on her right palm, bringing it close to her face. In a quick swipe, the process of summoning her Persona came.

JULIE: I summon you, Izanami!

Izanami eventually showed itself as it faced the Fiend. Once the Fiend prepared to claw at Julie, a single physical command by her pointing her sword at the creature alerted Izanami to attack. The Persona intertwined its wrists, bringing its arms into the air before gracefully pulling them back down as a cyclone of wind gushed from underneath the Fiend, completely obliterating it into ash.

The last Fiend prepared to attack. Julie quickly sheathed her sword into her umbrella and pointed towards the Fiend.

JULIE: Hama!

As commanded, Izanami flew towards the Fiend, channeling white energy through its hands as a white light surrounded the Fiend with cards latching onto it. The cards were soon expelled but the Fiend was still active. The move must've not worked.

ASHLEY: It didn't work!

JULIE: I see that! Sukunda!

Izanami poured a small green light on the Fiend that vanished within seconds of use. At first, it seemed the skill did no use until Ashley learned that the Fiend was moving slower!

Seeing that the skill worked, Julie gave Izanami its last command.

JULIE: Garu!

As done before, Izanami summoned a small cyclone of wind that eventually perished the Fiend within seconds.

With the last Fiend finished off, Julie brought Izanami back and prompted the two girls to follow her into the castle, which they did.

 **-Ice Castle-**

The inside of the castle was by far mysterious once they entered inside. The hallways were long and wide, so the girls were ready for an assault if it ever came. However, there was no sign of an attack.

TARA: I don't sense any Fiends in here. I think we're good for now.

Though they were skeptical, they had to take Tara at her word. As they trudged further into the castle, there they saw that the walls had a row of mirrors. Some of the mirrors were shattered while the others weren't. Some were in fact covered by different pieces of cloth and they didn't send out promising signals. As a protection resort, Julie removed the camera she had strapped from around her neck and gave it to Tara to keep hold of, though she was confused on how this was supposed to be used.

Julie looked around the hallway to examine the mirrors. Each one she looked at held an unusual color of purple and when she looked at her reflection, she couldn't see herself. The same applied to Ashley and Tara as they had trouble trying to see their reflection.

JULIE: Isn't this a little odd? All these mirrors and they don't give off reflections. What's the meaning behind this?

Tara walked beside Julie, staring at a blank mirror herself.

TARA: In this realm, the manifestations of fear are made real. Fears locked away in the human heart and mind are given life, making construction.

JULIE: "Fears locked away"?

Julie walked up to Tara while Ashley looked at the mirror in front of her, still unable to see her reflection.

Tara began to converse with Julie.

TARA: That's correct. I learned that this realm only manifests fear into a true image. People keep away their fears inside their hearts, mostly out of denial that it exists. The longer it is kept, the stronger that fear becomes and will be given life unintentionally. Maybe the reason for those attacks came from the previous victims not accepting their fears.

Ashley looked closer and closer, but still could not find her reflection. With her back turned, she touched the glass of the mirror and shuddered slightly.

ASHLEY: _~There's… nothing?~_

Julie and Tara continued their conversation.

JULIE: It explains a lot. Maybe Nathan Copeland was so afraid about the bankruptcy that he was taken here and it must've manifested a construction from his fears. That must mean that this castle was created by someone's hidden fears. But the question is who?

Suddenly, Ashley picked up on something coming from a room not too far from them. The presence felt… familiar. Taking one foot forward, Ashley slowly walked away from the group and towards the other room, unbeknownst to the girls.

TARA: I can't say really. You have a Persona, so it can't be you and it's not me because I've been here for months. Must be someone who is not a Persona-user and is just now coming into this realm…

JULIE: Probably. Someone like…

It was then that an image came to mind.

 **-Meanwhile-**

Ashley found herself walking into a large, empty platform that bore resemblance to a castle's meeting room. All around were mirrors, each in one purple color and all that were perfectly fine in shape compared to the others she had seen in the hallway. An uneasy feeling welled up in Ashley.

The muttered sounds of conversation slowly began to pick up, though she could not understand it.

ASHLEY: Huh?

The voices grew louder and louder by the minute, eventually to where she could hear a voice. No. It was her voice!

ASHLEY'S VOICE: What's the matter, little girl? What are you afraid of?

The sound of the voice was close. It prompted Ashley to turn in all areas to locate it, but it was her voice!

ASHLEY: Who's there?!

The question was accompanied by laughter and faint sound of footsteps that drew near.

ASHLEY'S VOICE: Hehehehehehehe… It's only me. Ashley Lewis!

Suddenly, Ashley could hear a strange sound pick up from beside her. When she turned to face it, she saw a pile of black smoke collect into one and form into a being that was blackened out. Eventually, as the smoke thinned in resemblance, it bore visage of a young woman with a dark blue auraradiating all around her. As she opened her eyes, a haunting demonic yellow was shining from within them, accompanied by a maniacal smile. Ashley gasped in horror when she saw the figure… it was her!

Another set of footsteps were heard as Julie and Tara came just in time to witness the scene. Upon seeing the two Ashleys, the following reactions were fear and confusion.

TARA: Th-There's… two Ashleys?!

JULIE: Did this happen with the other victims?

TARA: No! At least I don't think so!

JULIE: Well, who is this other "Ashley"?

The mysterious figure known as "Ashley" began to speak.

OTHER ASHLEY: I am a Shadow… of your worst nightmares… I am you and you are me. I am the embodiment of perfection, my dear, or I try to achieve it. No one can ever top with what I have to offer. Hell, I may as well prove something by coming into this hellish realm, knowing there are monsters that are out for blood.

She pointed to Ashley, who was flabbergasted by the ordeal. Was this thing… her?

ASHLEY: What are you talking about?

The other laughed before continuing.

SHADOW ASHLEY: I try so hard to be perfect. I'm not perfection, but I can achieve it. Hell, I'm probably better than all of the Olympic athletes on TV. I won first place in all of my figure skating tournaments and everyone has said that I'm likely to reach for gold. Some even call me the prettiest girl ever known, saying that my face was born to be somewhere on ice. That I'm just a graceful swan ready to bear its wings and fly... or so I thought.

A question mark floated above Ashley's head.

ASHLEY: I thought?

The Shadow's voice grew darker.

SHADOW ASHLEY: When it comes down to how my potential stands, I'm not good enough. I can practice all day and all night probably and still, the same goes… I'm not good enough. I can try to look my best and be my best. Deal with my hair so it can look suitable, always put lotion on so I won't risk the factors of being ashy and not applying too much cosmetics, just simple eyeshadow and chapstick... but I'm still not good enough. I can never be good enough for anyone or even myself!

ASHLEY: What?

SHADOW ASHLEY: I hate looking into mirrors.

The moment the Shadow said those words, Ashley's blood ran cold. A sickening frown laid on its face.

SHADOW ASHLEY: Every time I look into a mirror, I just see nothing! Nothing! I am nobody! I'm just some bitch trying to make a name for herself! I don't qualify for anything pertaining to success! My hair isn't long enough, I'm not tall enough and worse of all… my skin.

ASHLEY: ….

SHADOW ASHLEY: Giovanni gets all the treatment she wants. She's black too, but her skin is lighter. Her hair is longer and flowing compared to mine! She can look into a mirror and not have to break it by punching at it! Why does she get the special treatment?! Why do any of those bitches get the special treatment?! Why is coach so promising to them and not me?! I've never bragged about myself to anyone! I've never looked down at anyone who wasn't better than I was! So why must I be forsaken?!

ASHLEY: Stop it…

The Shadow continued its rant. Julie could feel the hatred and fear resonating from the Shadow. Were these Ashley's fears kept away?

SHADOW ASHLEY: I hate mirrors! They don't show what I want to see! All I see is some black bitch trying to exceed the limits! I just wish I never had a reflection! I hate mirrors! More than just hate, I'm terrified of mirrors!

ASHLEY: Stop...

SHADOW ASHLEY: Why can't I look different?! Why do I appear this way?! A mirror only shows what you try to be and not what you are! They hold such a dark meaning to them! Something you cannot be but something that you are born as.

By now, Ashley was angered.

ASHLEY: Knock it off! Shut the hell up!

By then, the Shadow finally subsided in its angry rant and began to speak calmly, even flashing a sadistic smile on its face.

SHADOW ASHLEY: That's my worst fear. This is what I'm afraid of and how I feel.

However, defiance was read all over Ashley. She approached the Shadow with a wave of heated rage exanerating from her.

ASHLEY: That's not true! I'm not scared of mirrors!

The Shadow, however, laughed by these words and walked towards Ashley, but stopped only a short distance. Placing a hand on its hips, the Shadow continued to torment Ashley.

SHADOW ASHLEY: Seriously? So you're going to deny me again? Then why did you lie to your parents that you accidentally cracked the mirror when you know you did on it purpose? Remember, you were reading a magazine and you saw this beautiful, light-skinned black woman on the cover with long hair and a pretty face. Out of jealousy, you smashed the mirror. Is it because of that woman? No. You're afraid of mirrors and what they show. Isn't that right... me?

Ashley violently shook her head as she covered her ears. Julie could tell from Ashley's own actions that she was in denial.

ASHLEY: No! Like hell that you're me! You're not me!

Those words brought upon a chilling silence that lasted for only seconds. As those seconds outlived its purpose, the floor beneath the girls began to crack like ice and a producing wind began to develop. The Shadow laughed maniacally at Ashley.

SHADOW ASHLEY: Hehehehehehe... You're right! I'm not you, am I?!

Piles of black smoke began to surround and cluster onto the Shadow. Ashley backed away slowly in fear with Julie approaching her the same way.

SHADOW ASHLEY: Hehehehehehehe. Ahahahahahahaha... AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA!

All in one, the smoke covered the Shadow's body and as they clustered, the figure grew and expanded in size and height. As the Shadow slowly unveiled itself, the ice beneath them formed spikes and mirror-like ice statues that gave off clear reflections. The girl shielded themselves from the impact of the prevailing wind.

Eventually, as the wind died down, the girls looked up to see the Shadow's true form. The Shadow bore the resemblance of a monuementous woman with tattered, black skin. Its face was replaced with a mirror mask with ice shards as its hair and wore a royal dress that gave it the resemblance of queen colored in light blue with a gold crown to compliment its feature. The Shadow began to form a throne made purely of ice with a cry and sat down on it, crossing one leg over the other with both hands resting on the arms of the throne.

Ashley was terrified by what she saw. Julie ran up to her, grabbing her by her shoulders and pulling her back.

SHADOW ASHLEY: I am a Shadow... of your worst nightmare...

Tara ran up to the two, her footsteps catching Julie's attention.

JULIE: Tara! Protect Ashley! I'll deal with this beast!

With a nod, Tara grabbed Ashley and pulled her back as Julie walked towards the Shadow.

SHADOW ASHLEY: Do you think you can shatter me like glass or a block of ice? No matter. Once I'm finished with you, I'll probably skin you and wear it on me!

The Shadow proceeded to summon a whirlwind of ice that slowed Julie for a bit. Catching her balance, she held her umbrella with her spared hand and used her free hand to bring it to her face. With her hand turned sideways, she slid it across her face as a bright purple light engulfed her hand and a summoning circle appeared beneath her feet.

JULIE: I call upon you, Izanami!

Striking a flashy pose with her hand, the Persona was released from her subconsciousness and on command, attacked.

Izanami flew towards the Shadow.

SHADOW ASHLEY: Well, aren't you just the pest?! I guess I'm going to have to kill you quickly then!

The Shadow quickly raised its right arm as ice shards gathered. In a haste, the Shadow threw the shards towards Izanami.

JULIE: Sukukaja!

Under Julie's command, a green light quickly glowed on the Persona and it cleverly dodged each ice shard flown at it. Julie moved herself away from the shards' path with Tara and Ashley doing same. The shards landed on top of the ice floor, cracking them slightly.

Izanami continued to float in the air as Julie gave it another command.

JULIE: Garu!

The Persona performed the same procedure it needed to unleash Garu as a small green cyclone of wind appeared beneath the Shadow and struck at it. The damage was small, but effective. In another attempt, Julie began to open up to see a new skill for Izanami. Somehow, an image of Izanami summoning multiple winds was made vivid in her mind.

JULIE: _~What?~_

IZANAMI: _~These are my powers. Each time your resolve becomes stronger, my powers will strengthen.~_

JULIE: _~I-Izanami?! You can talk?!~_

IZANAMI: _~Only through our minds are we able to communicate. This will help whenever we fight against Fiends and the Shadows. But you must listen, this new power of mines is called Magaru. It allows me to summon multiple cyclones of wind at will and is very effective. My wind techniques can strengthen but only if you're resolve strengthens. This Shadow is an Ice-type and I do not know any Fire magic, but my Wind magic can do some damage, regardless.~_

JULIE: _~Wait! Are you able to look into this Shadow and see its power?~_

IZANAMI: _~No. Only a Support-type Persona is capable of analyzing an enemy. I just recognized the Shadow's ability of ice magic through our battle and it seems that ice is its highest and only known magical skill. You must be careful, Julie.~_

JULIE: _~Understood!~_

Though this was Julie's first time speaking with Izanami, a resolved look on her face accompanied with a nod as she tightened her grip on her umbrella and focused on Izanami.

JULIE: Magaru!

As commanded, Izanami summoned multiple cyclones of wind. Though they were weak, they weren't lacking in sufficient damage as the Shadow showed signs of affliction... along with outstanding rage.

SHADOW ASHLEY: You little bitch! Who the hell do you think you are?! I'll erase your pititful existence without needing the effort!

The Shadow got up from its throne and grabbed hold of its dress. It lifted a segment of the dress slightly and spun slowly to turn its back against the girls. Once it released its hand from the dress, small particles of shining dust began to flutter and shine until their form was diminished as the particles blew along a strong and icy wind at them. The wind was so strong that Julie shielded herself from the cold. Tara and Ashley grabbed of each other to protect themselves from the impact.

SHADOW ASHLEY: Why can't I be what you want me to be?! Why am I not perfect?! Do I not look like someone trying to make something out of themselves?! I- I don't want to look into a mirror and see nothing anymore!

Behind Julie, Ashley covered herself but closed her ears as Tara looked down at her. As the Shadow continued to rage on, Julie could hear Izanami's words pour into her mind.

IZANAMI: _~Julie... Your friend is still in denial.~_

JULIE: _~What do you mean?~_

IZANAMI: _~She cannot accept her fear. She's afraid but she won't admit to it. She's cowering away from what scares her the most...~_

JULIE: _~Mirrors... So I wasn't wrong. The Shadow unleashed its true form because of Ashley's denial.~_

IZANAMI: _~Correct and that denial is giving the Shadow strength. If this continues, you may not be able to save your friend. She may die here.~_

Those words brought upon a flow of ice in Julie's blood. She couldn't deny Izanami's words for she has witnessed and was told of this herself, but just the thought of losing Ashley?

Julie looked back at Ashley as she balled up with Tara placing a reassuring hand on her and looked back at the Shadow as it raged.

IZANAMI: _~You care for your friend, don't you?~_

Julie nodded.

JULIE: _~Yes. We may not know much about each other but we've gotten pretty close as friends and I don't want anything to happen to her.~_

IZANAMI: _~Then try to talk to her. As her friend, you are the only person she can reach out to.~_

With a nod, Julie walked over to Ashley and Tara. As she approached them, she knelt beside her friend and moved in close so she could hear.

JULIE: Ashley... You need to face your Shadow!

The following response was more denial as Ashley quickly rose her head up and looked at Julie with a flabbergasted facce.

ASHLEY: That's not me! That thing is not me!

However, Julie's voice remained calm.

JULIE: Ashley, please. I understand how you feel but you can't cower away from this! It was born from you!

ASHLEY: Wha?!

Ashley was left speechless. Tara began to assist.

TARA: Julie's right. As I said before, this realm carries all fears that have been given life: a Shadow. I've never witnessed this before, but I can say that it goes along from what I know. Ashley... this Shadow was born from you... born from your fears.

Nothing else was said from Tara, prompting a fearful Ashley to turn back to her raging Shadow. Her mind went numb as she thought of how such a powerful and monstrous being was erupted out of her... out from the elements that she feared and never wanted to tell.

JULIE: You need to accept your fears, Ash. Running from them won't help because it won't solve the issue. Right now, your Shadow is becoming stronger from your defiance.

Those words sunk onto a fearful Ashley as she turned back to the Shadow after glancing to Julie. Gazing back at it, the mirror-mask on its face gave clear that all she had been trying to subdue, all the fears she was carrying on her shoulders, were standing in front of her in pure rage. Looking back down at the ice, she could see her reflection. For the first time since walking into this castle and encountering the Shadow, Ashley could actually see her reflection. It was her and nobody else. The same person she was from birth till this current age... and it haunted her. She was granted with one notable feature and that was her hazel eyes, but she still bore brown skin and short, black hair. She was nothing compared to the models, athletes and superstars she has always idolized and imagined on TV. She was no one else but herself.

Slowly, she stood up and began to approach the Shadow, even as the wind progressed. The Shadow stood shocked.

SHADOW ASHLEY: What the hell?! What are you doing?!

ASHLEY: ... You're right...

SHADOW ASHLEY: What?!

Ashley looked up at the Shadow, seeing her reflection on its face. Though frightened upon looking at it, she had to stand strong. Julie was right. She needed to accept her Shadow and accept the one thing that she was afraid of... mirrors.

ASHLEY: I said you're right! I am afraid of looking into mirrors! The reason why is because I'm afraid of staring into my reflection. The person I see is not the person I wish to be. I wish to be someone else and not this!

SHADOW ASHLEY: That's right! I'm not perfect! I'm not what people think of me! I'm just pitiful!

ASHLEY: You're wrong!

SHADOW ASHLEY: What?!

ASHLEY: I may not be perfect and I may not reach people's expectations of how I appear, but I'm not pitiful! That was how I saw myself but I'm not! It wasn't the fact that I was afraid of mirrors, but I was afraid of staring into my own reflection! In a sense, I was afraid of myself! I continued to change myself so I can accept the person I see, but I couldn't. It was the same as always.

A small smile pertruded on the surface of her face and she walked even closer to the Shadow.

ASHLEY: So in that case, I accept you!

However, the Shadow was livid. It began to rage and shoot ice shards from its hands.

SHADOW ASHLEY: Noooooo!

In a haste, Ashley dodged the shards and hid behind an ice structure. Julie ran over to her and could hear Izanami's voice.

IZANAMI: _~The Shadow is getting weaker! Now's your chance!~_

Julie stood up and summoned Izanami.

JULIE: Come forth, Izanami!

The Persona reappeared and flew towards the Shadow.

JULIE: Magaru!

In response, the Shadow summoned multiple green cyclones of wind and struck the Shadow in great power.

SHADOW ASHLEY: What the-?! Ow! Stop it! Ouch! Ah! AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!

 **Part 2: The Empress**

As the Shadow's cry of agony ranged, it's body vanished amongst the wind of Izanami's power and reimagined into Ashley once more. The Shadow descended from the sky and laid on the ground, slowly getting up with its balance reaching for recovery. Ashley walked up to the Shadow and faced it. The Shadow caught sense of her presence and looked up at her to notice her smile.

Julie stepped in a little, but stayed behind Ashley as she confronted her Shadow.

ASHLEY: I should've never denied you. I was afraid. This was a fear that I had kept hidden for so long and never wanted anyone to know. You are me and I can no longer deny that.

Suddenly, Ashley's words caused the Shadow to plaster on a smile. However, this smile was warm and a bright blue light surrounded it. Its figure vanished away but gave forth a new image to bear witness to.

This new entity bore long, thick black hair with a black lace masquerade mask on its face. The figure wore a white guard jacket with gold buttons and a blue scarf pushing forward and laying atop of its chest, skin-tight black pants with long blue boots with gold bottoms. It wore white gloves that extended from the fingers to the arm and a light blue scarf hung from the belt-line of its pants. In its hands, it carried a rapier with a golden handle and a shining, steel blade. This new entity was Ashley's Persona. After accepting her fears and taken part the Shadow that was born from her, Ashley's resolve awoken into the Persona, Orithiyia.

The Persona's body quickly faded away into a tarot card that came floating down from where it stood. Julie walked up to Ashley with Tara behind her and looked over her friend's shoulder to see the tarot card that was in her hands: it was the Empress. The Arcana represented motherhood, sexuality and abundance, a thorough description as to how Julie saw Ashley.

Ashley turned back to Julie and Tara, bearing witness to their warm smiles and generous eyes as the card vanished from her hand, manifesting into a blue light that encircled her head and eventually vanished. The process prompted Ashley to close her eyes and quickly reopen to shone a bright blue that covered both of her eyeballs before reverting to their natural form and color.

ASHLEY: Orithiyia... This is my Persona.

The process caused Ashley to look into the sky, so she looked back at Julie and Tara.

TARA: So that's what happens when you confront a Shadow! Ashley, you can use a Persona!

JULIE: Well done, my friend. How do you feel?

There was a short pause in the conversation before Ashley could respond. When she did, her eyes began to weaken and she could feel her head lightening in weight, forcing her to clamp onto her forehead with her palm.

ASHLEY: Honestly, I feel exhausted. Almost as if I had a wild night and trying to wash off what intoxicants of alcohol that drove me wild.

JULIE: I guess that process of gaining a Persona is tiresome. We should head back to our realm as soon as possible.

ASHLEY: Right.

Before they could leave, they turned back to Tara.

JULIE: How do we leave from here? Is there an incantation we must say?

Tara shook her head.

TARA: No. I can send you guys back to your realm and even send you back to your homes so you won't have to walk. I'll stay behind and wait until you guys can come go again. As long as you see someone on a stormy night is when you should come back.

The moment Tara said those words, her mind suddenly refreshened and Julie remembered something. The figure she saw on that stormy night.

JULIE: Wait! I didn't think about it until you said it but I saw something the other night and I think it was a person!

Tara's eyes widened in shock.

TARA: What?! Well let me ask you this, was this the first time you saw it?

Julie nodded.

JULIE: Yes. Why?

The answer was followed by a sigh of relief from Tara.

TARA: Okay. Listen, the next two rainy nights, if you see the same figure then we have to come back here and find them. If not, they will die.

Julie nodded.

JULIE: Right. I'll remember that.

After their discussion had ended, Tara began to control the essence of her powers and focused them directly on the two girls. As the essence grew stronger, Tara shouted with a high voice.

TARA: Dnes eseht owt slrig kcab emoh!

 **-Earth-**

The moment the incantation was spoken, the girls found themselves surrounded in a light that eventually caused them to disappear. The next moment, Julie found herself back home in her bedroom, in her own realm. She turned over to the clock she had set on the dresser and saw that indeed, time did stop. It was midnight, so there was no doubt that her parents suspected a thing. Removing her garments to replace with her nightly ones and placing her umbrella underneath her bed, she lifted the covers and slid onto the firm mattress with the warm sheets enclosing her body. Before she could sleep, however, she remembered what Tara said and remembered what she had to do.

This was the first in which she had seen the figure that was outside of her house on that stormy night and remembered that for the next nights when it rains, she had to check and see if the figure was still there. Quickly sitting up from her bed, she looked out the window for approximately five minutes to see if the figure would reappear. Nothing was shown. With a sigh of relief, she fell back to sleep but until she jolted back up from her bed, sitting upright with an expression of worry clarifying how she felt at the moment. She just remembered something that she wished she hadn't forgot.

JULIE: Blasted! I forgot to ask Tara for my camera back!

 **A/N: I'm so sorry about this! With exams and assignments that are needed to be turned in, not that I'm behind, I've been busy. And I'm sorry for all of you Injustice fans for not publishing that next chapter yet. Also, I've been working on a Mass Effect fan fiction, so there's a lot going on. Don't worry, I'll return to my duties as soon as possible. So Ashley received her Persona, Orithiyia, and she's of the Empress Arcana. For the next act, there won't be any action. But don't fear for more is in stock. Stay tuned and review!**


	5. Act 5

**Act 5: Without a Trace**

* * *

 **-August 20, 2010: Friday: School-**

 **-Morning-**

The class assembled itself as soon as the tardy bell had rung. Afterwards, a woman had stepped through the door and entered the classroom with a noticeable anxious look on her face. The woman had dark brown hair, appeared to be in her earlier thirties and deep green eyes. She wore a blue dress shirt tucked into a skin-tight black skirt that extended above the knee with stockings and black heels. Her hair was tied in a somewhat messy bun and she wore diamond earrings with a silver watch. Many appeared to be confused as murmurs of question were heard coming from their mouths.

MALE WITH GLASSES: Hey! Do you know who this woman is?

FEMALE WITH BLONDE HAIR: I don't know. Must be a substitute.

FEMALE WEARING SLIPPERS: If she was, we would've been notified about this. But then again, as neat and refined this school may be, they are late when it comes to information.

After a while, the teacher stood in front of the desk, her presence easily silencing the entire class. She had managed to plaster a smile, albeit nerved, on her face and waved to the entire class.

NERVOUS WOMAN: Um, hello students. My name is Jessica Thompson and I'll be replacing your teacher, Mr. Chambers.

More murmurs of question were followed and silenced once more as Jessica spoke.

MS. THOMPSON: Mr. Chambers was reassigned to a new school located outside of Minnesota. Your principal has appointed me to be your homeroom class teacher. Now I must admit, I'm a little nervous about teaching. If you all didn't know by now, I tend to be a bit… clumsy.

Murmurs were restarted, but not by question.

FEMALE WITH BLONDE HAIR: I kind of figured that. You could see sweat soaking her underarms!

The murmurs were silenced.

MS. THOMPSON: Also… I don't know what the subject of this class is supposed to be.

The following visible reactions were met with surprise, including Julie. How could she not know what to teach the class? Didn't the principal tell her what subject to teach? From the moment she met this woman, Julie could tell that she was going to have a time for this year.

MS. THOMPSON: Your principal didn't tell me what subject it was that I was supposed to teach you all, so can anyone tell me before I end up teaching you guys the wrong stuff?

One of the students rose their hand: Ian, of course. Ms. Thompson called him once she saw his hand.

MS. THOMPSON: Yes. Can you tell me?

IAN: This class teaches history.

MS. THOMPSON: History? Oh. Thank God. I was afraid this was a Math class. If it was, I guarantee you all would've failed the finals for it. But need not worry, I am good with history, although I graduated with a Bachelor's in Economics.

That sentence gave her a thought and she turned to the class.

MS. THOMPSON: Is Economics involved in this class?

The answers were simple shaking heads and a few "no's" from the class. A sigh of depression blew from her mouth.

MS. THOMPSON: I guess not. Oh well, let's just start our work! What lesson are you guys on?

Another wave of surprise flourished the class, along with a nervous giggle from Ms. Thompson after realizing the obscenity of her question.

MS. THOMPSON: Yeah. Neither your teacher or principal gave me a heads-up on the lesson you guys are on… nor did I think to ask.

Sweat beads fell from the entire classes' heads. This was going to be a long year.

 **-Lunchtime: Rooftop-**

Julie met up with Ashley on the rooftop of the school during their lunch hour and once again, Clayton and Ian were nowhere to be found. After greeting each other, they pulled out their lunches and began eating. However, the silence couldn't be any thicker.

Julie looked over to Ashley, still consuming her meal but not saying a word to occupy the mood. Of course, she knew what this had to do. After all, she did see the worst side of Ashley last night and saw the fears that she had hoped no one would know. It was noticeable by how quickly she began to consume her ramen, even chewing the noodle, which is something that she never saw her do. Well, never saw her do, but was told that she doesn't do.

JULIE: Hey Ash... are you okay?

Ashley turned over to Julie, hiding the uneasiness behind her smile and gentle face.

ASHLEY: Yeah. I'm fine.

This was a lie. Julie could tell that Ashley was not feeling much like herself after what had happened. However, she couldn't judge her. When it comes to becoming the perfect person, people try their best to improve their looks and qualities. Ashley was one of these people. She couldn't change herself to be perfect and this frightened her. It was the reason she was scared of mirrors. They never showed a change that Ashley wanted, but what change would cover how she looked. This was her theory, but from how it sounded in her mind, it could be a fact.

Placing a hand on her shoulder, Julie scooted over to her with a friendly smile. Ashley looked at her friend and back down at her ramen, letting go of the chopsticks in her hands and breathing a sigh.

ASHLEY: Actually, I'm not fine.

Seeing that Julie was concerned, Ashley felt free of all weight to finally say what was bothering her.

ASHLEY: When we encountered my Shadow, you saw everything that represented my fears and flaws. You saw that I was spectrophobic.

She stood up from the bench and placed the ramen box on it, taking a few steps forward but remained close to Julie with her back turned.

JULIE: You can tell me anything, Ashley. I won't judge you.

As she said that, Ashley began to speak, but from the tone of her voice, this wasn't a story she particularly enjoyed sharing.

ASHLEY: It started when I was eleven. I was starting middle school and I participated for figure skating. I was the only black girl who ever auditioned and I was one of the few to make the cut. It was exciting. I had experience in Kung Fu through my dad, but I always wanted to try figure skating and I did well on my first try.

And just as her voice picked up, it fell down with her head as she continued on.

ASHLEY: However, that was what I possessed, apparently. Throughout my years of figure skating, I felt somewhat inferior to the other girls. Everyone had long hair or straight hair, but I had curls and my hair didn't go below the shoulder. I thought about purchasing extensions but figured it would take too much time to put them in. I won first in every meet we had but never received recognition for it from coach. Then came Giovanni. She was this beautiful, light-skinned girl with elbow-length raven hair and hazel green eyes. Of course I have hazel eyes, but not as bright as hers. Coach fell in love with her. Whenever she practiced, she would always applaud her for her talents and effort and so would everyone else. I did the same to show that I was a good sport, but it was strange. I've been doing this since eleven years old and here comes somebody else who is getting better approval than me.

JULIE: Is Giovanni the reason why you're afraid of mirrors?

Her voice fell silent for a short moment. She turned back to Julie with a stern look on her face and shook her head.

ASHLEY: It wasn't Giovanni. One day, I looked in the mirror and saw everything that was wrong. Granted my skin is not dark but I have brown skin. Sometimes I look brighter under light, sometimes darker when there's not enough lighting. My hair wasn't long enough, either. Day after day, I changed my image to better suit the idealistic view that I wanted, but my results were null. No matter how hard I tried to change myself... I never looked different. I ended up punching the mirror out of anger and lied to my parents that I saw a fly and tried to kill it.

JULIE: Sounds as if you were trying to kill your own reflection. You were haunted by the reflection you continued to see, so you decided to erase it as a whole.

She nodded.

ASHLEY: Exactly. It was almost as if the mirror continued to taunt me, telling me that no matter how hard I try, I will always be a rejection... and it scared me. I didn't like the feeling of being no one but I didn't enjoy looking at myself in a mirror, either. Some mornings, I manage to at least take a quick peek in the mirror to check my appearance, but after that day, I avoided them.

JULIE: Ashley...

ASHLEY: And to this day, I'm still evading mirrors. I just can't bring myself to look at a mirror without turning away anymore.

Julie stood up from the bench and walked over to her friend, standing beside her as they turned to watch the clouds in the sky move, summoning a sensational wind that blew through their hair.

The conversation fell silent once again. Ashley couldn't bring herself to say anymore. All that she felt and all she had feared, she laid it to Julie before her. It was a haunting feeling she had with mirrors. The words her Shadow had said were haunting her as well. Everything revealing her fears and how she felt, she wished that Julie and even Tara hadn't heard. She wasn't one for speaking her feelings to people, even her friends and she could feel nothing but humilation following it.

However...

JULIE: Ashley. You don't need a mirror to see how much potential you hold.

The sudden sentence broke Ashley out of her train of thought and she turned to Julie in surprise.

ASHLEY: What?

Julie turned to Ashley with a smile on her face, something else that shocked her.

JULIE: Mirrors cannot show the potential someone carries, it only shows what they look like. I understand everything about your fear. I guess if the shoe was on the other foot, I would feel the same, but you can't allow it to judge how you are.

ASHLEY: Julie...

JULIE: Ashley... It's your determination, strength, intelligence, friendliness, prosperity and conservatism that makes you a person. No one is ideal, nor are they perfect. Perfection is only an opinion, not a fact. We can't prove how perfect we are because we can make mistakes. That doesn't make us pitiful, it just makes us human. No matter how people see you or what they think of you, you are your own person.

Julie turned back to the sky but Ashley's eyes never left from her.

JULIE: Back in Inaba, a lot of kids picked on me for how I sounded. I have a strong British accent and it was even stronger growing up. A lot of kids would mock me, saying I should be "sipping tea and eating crumpets" and "speaking to the governor".

With a scoff, she shook her head but kept the smile on her face.

JULIE: It's funny how people love to stereotype you when you're different. In England, it wasn't easy because some of the kids were against biraciality. Not a lot of them, but only a few and they would write nasty things about me, calling me a "half-breed" or a "mixed pedigree".

ASHLEY: That's sad. How could people judge you by how you sound or your nationality?

JULIE: I wondered the same thing. I've seen people be mistreated by other races of people for how they appeared. Supremacism stands stronger than racism these days. You want to change people's minds, tell them that not everyone is perfect and that we're all the same, but you just have to accept that there is people who'll simply judge you for how you look, how you sound, your religion, sexuality and everything else. Maybe it's how they were taught, what happened to them in the past or just being plain ignorant, but everyone has their opinion. Whether they're racist or not, someone has some kind of distasteful view about someone else and you can't allow it to affect how you should change yourself or how you feel.

Those words fell heavy into Ashley's mind. Never has anyone told her this before and for once, she felt glad that someone did. A smile slowly began to form on her face as she looked at Julie, who was still gazing to the sky. She hadn't paid much mind to how she appeared because she was afraid to look in a mirror. Gratitude stood clear in her eyes.

ASHLEY: Thanks. I don't know whether to believe you, but... it means a lot.

JULIE: Trust me, I know how special you are. You received your Persona after all. What was her name again, Orithiyia?

Ashley nods.

ASHLEY: Yeah. It's odd, though. The moment our minds merged, her name was spoken to me. It's funny because I've looked up the name. In Greek mythology, Orithiyia belongs to the Amazonian queen who later became the goddess of the snowy mountains.

JULIE: Really?

ASHLEY: Really. I even looked into yours, though it was kind of haunting: the goddess of death. In Japanese mythology, her husband, Izanagi, went to look for her in the underworld and rescue her, but when he found her, she didn't look like herself. She bore the resemblance of a reanimated zombie.

JULIE: I know. Trust me, I've read books.

She turned away again and back to Ashley, but this time, with an unneased look on her face.

JULIE: By the way, should we tell Clayton about what we saw?

Before Ashley answered, she fell stuck in words. Now that Julie mentioned it, she never really gave much thought about it. Clayton wanted to participate in this investigation and showed excitement when the investigation was formed, only to be spurned when he realized that he had no way of getting out. However, telling Clayton about another dimension where monsters known as "Fiends" roamed around, beings known as Shadows escape from the "fears of the heart" and how the realm represents fear sounded a little theatric when Ashley placed herself in his shoes. Actually, "theatric" was just a formal way of putting it. Clayton would think that the two girls had officially lost all sanity, if he were to be painfully honest.

ASHLEY: I don't know. Of course, we know it's true, but will Clayton believe us?

JULIE: He has to. I'm sure he will understand once we tell him about it.

 **-Later: Afterschool-**

CLAYTON: Were you guys dreaming or smoking last night?

It was afterschool and most of the class had left while the trio stayed behind to talk about last night's events. Of course, Julie and Ashley were the only ones who knew about the realm of Hofu and... knew it was a mistake to tell Clayton. It was clearly obvious by the uneven creasing of his brows that he did not believe them and Julie wished she had listened to Ashley.

CLAYTON: So you mean to tell me that there is this realm called "Hofu" and in this realm, there are monsters called "Fiends" and the realm manifests fear into reality?

JULIE: Exactly.

CLAYTON: Sounds like a tale to me. Come on guys! Just say that you didn't investigate last night because I was stuck at home and you didn't want to do things without me.

ASHLEY: To be honest, I really didn't care.

That earned her a cold glare from Clayton, which she really couldn't care about.

JULIE: We're being serious. We even met a priestess named Tara. She explained to us about the realm and our Personas.

CLAYTON: Persona?

The questioned look on his face was vivid compared to when the girls first told him about the realm and the Fiends. This wasn't easy to explain.

ASHLEY: I told you this wasn't a good idea.

Ashley turned to Julie with a look that read 'I told you so', but Julie paid her no mind. She resumed her talk with Clayton, but noticed something else that she had forgotten. Looking around the class, she could see that they were the only three inside... just them. She turned back to Clayton.

JULIE: Clayton. Where's Ian? Did he come to school?

Her question refreshed Ashley's mind as well, being aware that she also didn't see Ian today.

ASHLEY: Yeah. Where is he?

CLAYTON: Oh, Ian? He said he had something to do for his dad, so he didn't come to school today.

ASHLEY: Again? God, his dad is running him ragged. But come to think of it, I haven't really been seeing Ian much lately.

CLAYTON: Well, when it comes to being the son of a gangster, there's a lot of responsibility to be done. Can't complain, really. He can skip school if he wants to and he's bringing in cash as well. He has a lot more privileges than us.

There it was again. Julie could spot the jealousy in Clayton's tone of voice. But that wasn't all that she caught onto. His eyes rolled away once he used the word 'privileges', a quick up-and-down shift of his eyebrows was implemented and a slight scoff escaped his lips when he finished his sentence. Was Clayton that jealous of Ian?

Of course, Ashley couldn't detect the jealousy but she was certainly unnerved by Clayton's nonchalance regarding to their friend's lifestyle. Julie could share that concern. After all, Ian's father is a gangster and a leader of a mafia. Naturally, anyone would be nervous or terrified to get near to Ian, but there was something about him that felt welcoming. He wasn't cruel, cold-hearted, ruthless or greedy like the common stereotype goes for mafia leaders or their children, but he was noble and honorable. She couldn't deny also that everyone at school must know about Ian's father, but no one has shown fear to him at all. As a matter of fact, he is one of the most popular male students at their school.

ASHLEY: Do you really consider those as 'privileges'? From all the work he has to do for his father, I'm surprised that Ian's sanity still holds.

CLAYTON: I know! Geez!

However, there was tension in the air that was strong enough to touch.

- **Later-**

After leaving from school, Julie decided to return home and parted ways with Ashley and Clayton about ten minutes ago. Now she was walking down the street of the busy city to the bus stop. After catching the bus, she was now walking towards the train station amongst a crowd of people who were just leaving from work.

At the gate, she presented her train card and was permitted to proceed. She had been in Minneapolis long enough to know how their infrastructure works and knew which train to take to get home. In essence, Julie and her friends lived in the Twin Cities, which is Minneapolis-St. Paul. They lived in the Hennepin County and normally, Julie and her friends had to take a train to get their homes. Of course, Ashley had figure-skating practice and Clayton needed to help manage the baseball team.

By then, the train had come and came to a halt, allowing the passengers to step aboard. Once Julie stepped inside the train, she found herself looking for an open seat. There wasn't that many passengers on board, but there was still enough to keep some people standing. As Julie searched around, she heard the voice of a familiar person calling her name and turned back to find the voice. A smile plastered on her face as the voice she heard was who she anticipated.

JULIE: Ian! Hi.

Ian wasn't dressed in his school uniform. He wore a black business suit with a black tie, black suede shoes and a gold ring on his finger. From view, he appeared as a mobster, but this didn't concern her. She knew Ian too well to know that she was comfortable on being around him. She also noticed that the bottom of his head was faded out while the top held a head-full of hair. Maybe she was paying attention to his features as observantly as she thought or this was a new look, either way didn't matter. With all that he had to do and even missing school to top it off, she was glad to see his face again, but she knew that he was stressed.

Taking a seat next to him, the two began to converse.

JULIE: It's nice to see you. You weren't in school today.

IAN: I know. Father needed my help in bringing some cargo and I had to take care of it for him.

JULIE: Did it involve you wearing that suit?

IAN: It's something that father taught me. "When you are doing business with different people, you have to dress as professionally as you are. Otherwise, you're just some cheap bum thinking you can get over on somebody and I know that I did not raise some bum."

He mimicked with a perfect Italian accent, earning a giggle from Julie that made his cheeks burn a little in compliment to a nervous smile.

JULIE: You have to admire a father who knows how to do business.

IAN: Yeah.

Suddenly, his voice fell flat, prompting Julie to bring a halt to her giggling. She looked at him with observant eyes and could see the stress on his face. The entire process of doing helping his father with business seemed to be placing heavy weight on his shoulders but there was more to it. In compliment to the stress, there was a hint of... fear in his eyes. Something about it made Julie think in question. What was he afraid of that made him fall flat in the conversation? At first, he showed gratitude towards Julie's presence, but now, his aura changed.

However, he managed to show a weak smile, probably because he knew that he was worrying Julie by going silent in his sentence.

IAN: By the way, how have things been with you and Clayton?

Should she choose to ignore the fact that Ian displayed uneasiness when speaking to her about his father? However, she didn't want to push the topic, especially if it was making Ian visibly uncomfortable.

JULIE: We're getting along well. He's a nice guy.

IAN: Yeah. I know he is. We've been friends for a long time. Actually, I met Clayton through Ashley when we were little. He was small, skinny and full of fire, but that was what I liked about him. ... He was everything that I wasn't.

JULIE: And what is that?

It took Ian a few moments before he could answer, but he managed to pull in the effort.

IAN: He's comfortable when talking to other people, he's not afraid to stand up to anything even when the odds are against him and... he lives a normal life.

JULIE: 'A normal life'?

IAN: Yeah. If you can, please be good to him. He may be a firecracker sometimes and Ashley already has little to no tolerance with him, but I believe you'll give out the best in him.

While those words were of gratitude, something about what Ian said made her feel a little uneasy. What did he mean by 'a normal life'? From all that Clayton had commented about Ian, it seemed that Ian paid the same token to him. However, this didn't sound anywhere close to jealousy from how Ian was speaking of it. It sounded more of a longing, as if Ian was longing for something that he didn't have. Was this because of his life as the son of a gangster? For all she knew, Ian showed visible stress, but never admitted to it. It was a feeling that he failed to masquerade, but never surrendered in continuing. Maybe he was trying to keep Julie out of involvement with his life, whether out of denial or security, but he was making strong with his attempt.

Eventually, Julie spotted her neighborhood from the train as they were approaching the next station. She got up from the seat, holding onto a bar to support her balance with the train's movement and looked back at Ian.

JULIE: This is going to be my stop. It was good talking to you.

IAN: Same here. I've never really talked to another girl like this before. Most of the girls who usually talk to me often flirt, except for Ashley, of course. It was nice having a normal conversation with another female.

JULIE: Well, I'm pleased that I was able to suit to your needs. By the way, will you be at school next week?

Ian shrugged.

IAN: I don't know. Father said this is supposed to be a big shipment that will come in and that was the first cargo shipped. It may be likely that it will come tomorrow but Father hasn't given me the details yet.

JULIE: Okay. Well, see you later.

As soon as she gave her valediction, the train came to a stop.

 **-Amano Residence: Evening-**

CATHRYN: So Julie, how was school today?

The family were seated in the dining room, enjoying a home-cooked meal of fish and chips. Since her parents are from England, they mostly cooked and served English dishes, but Hanbei would always cook Japanese meals that he enjoyed in his youth and that Julie enjoyed also.

The scenery was divine, to say the least. The family seated to enjoy their dinner and this time, without Cathryn being a work. Working for a magazine company resulted in crucial restraints in enjoying family time. Of course, Julie didn't mind her mother's work occupation, since it was her mother and father who taught her the values of working. However, Hanbei would show otherwise. Grateful he was about his wife's work, but ungrateful to the constraints it had on her spending time with the family. However, he wasn't going to let it show around Julie and kept a straight face as usual.

JULIE: It was okay. We got a new teacher who doesn't seem to know much about what she's supposed to do.

CATHRYN: Oh dear. Well, I hope she gets the hang of it. By the way, some of my colleagues have informed me that you're talking to Ian de Luca. Is that true?

She would answer right away but could tell the seriousness in Cathryn's voice when she said it, clearly giving away that she knew about Ian's father. However, she would never lie to her mother, nor her father about anybody she was talking to and answered.

JULIE: Yes, mother. I have.

CATHRYN: Oh. Well, do you know who his father is?

JULIE: Yes mother, I do. His father is Joseph de Luca... a notorious gangster here in Minneapolis.

Suddenly, the atmosphere stopped. Everything that was good and lively suddenly took a care to the dark. Julie was well aware that her mother wasn't comfortable with her being friends with Ian, especially given his father's reputation and she made it known when she spoke again.

CATHRYN: Julie. Ian is the son of a gangster and a mafia leader. A mafia leader. Do you know what happens when you associate yourself with them?

JULIE: Yes I do. But mother, Ian's not like that. He won't tell us about his father's business to us and he's not anything you expect from someone of the mafia or who is kin to someone in a mafia.

CATHRYN: I can understand that and I'm not trying to change your mind. Everybody at work tells me that he's noble and doesn't get into trouble at school, but I cannot deny that his father is a man who kills people and has enemies as well. Plus, those enemies may be targeting Ian to get to his father or one of Ian's friends to get to him, including you.

JULIE: I understand that as well. Mother, I know who Ian is and I know everything about his father. If he was dangerous, I wouldn't talk to him at all, but he's not. You need not worry about me.

CATHRYN: That's the instinct of a mother, Julie: worry. I just don't want anything happening to you because of Ian's status. I've read reports of how friends of a mafia usuallly turn up dead or missing and I don't want the same to happen to you or your father. I'm sorry if I sound like being the type of mother who never lets you live your life, but I have concerns.

JULIE: I know.

She did know, but she knew her mother as well. It wasn't anything new, especially given Julie's history of people often teasing her and taunting her. She had gotten over all of the racism in regards of her blood lineage and comments of how she appeared, but her mother didn't. She couldn't blame Cathryn for feeling worried. Yet at the same token, she wished her mother would understand a bit more.

 **-August 21, 2010: Saturday-**

Alone. That was one word to describe how Julie was feeling right now. Her parents had left for their occupations probably an hour ago, leaving her home alone. Of course, this has happened on so many occasions that Julie isn't bothered by it. As a matter of fact, it was her understanding that her parents had to work to provide for them was what kept Julie in holding animosity to her parents. However, Julie wasn't the type to hold animosity, no matter how grim her view of anyone seemed.

The month of August was slightly chilly. Though not cold, Julie could see a few people passing by wearing light jackets. The sky was blue, with a few clouds flying by and the sun shining like a newborn star. It was a beautiful day. She had a thought of wanting to go outside enjoy the day and she received a call on her cellphone. Looking over her shoulder to the dresser on the left side of the bed, she crawled across the bed and grabbed her phone and saw the caller ID. A short smile plastered on her face when she saw that it was Ashley and she answered.

ASHLEY: Hey, Julie. How are you?

JULIE: I'm well. How about you? What brought you to call me, if you don't mind me asking?

ASHLEY: Well, I can't tell you now. Come meet me at the mall today by the fountain. There's something I want to talk you about.

This had to be serious. If Ashley couldn't talk about it over the phone, she knew that the topic was for a matter of discussion. Julie nodded.

JULIE: Okay. Just let me get dressed and I'll be right there.

ASHLEY: Alright.

Both hung up. Placing her phone on the bed, Julie looked over to her closet and rose from her bed. Given the weather, Julie decided that it would be a good idea to wear a jacket or a sweater. After showering and taking care of her personal hygiene, she wore a black jacket with a lavender shirt, a long black skirt that reached her ankle, short black boots and purple earrings. For someone with an upbeat attitude and a generous spirit, Julie enjoyed wearing dark colors, which people often took as her being a Goth.

 **-Callisto Mall-**

ASHLEY: Do you walk around dressed like a vampire?

Ashley took some time to note Julie's appearance with an amused look on her face. It wasn't anything new. For some reason, Julie just had a taste for dark colors, not that she hated bright colors. Ever since she was six, people often called her a Goth until they actually met her.

JULIE: I just like dark colors. I hope my gothic appearance is bothering you?

She folded her shoulders with a playful smile on her face, teasing eyes directed to Ashley. The latter threw up her hands and backed away.

ASHLEY: No. That's your style. Odd to say, but it fits you well.

Julie nodded and noticed Ashley's appareil. She wore a long-sleeved sky blue tunic, a white skirt with black stockings, short sky blue boots and diamond earrings.

JULIE: So does your style. You look very feminine.

ASHLEY: *scoffs* Well, I may be aggressive sometimes, but I like dressing up and putting myself together, even casually.

JULIE: That I can understand. Back in Inaba, between me, Yukiko and Chie, Yukiko and I were the only two who were sophisticatedly dressed. Chie wore skirts much shorter than yours.

ASHLEY: No stockings or tights?

Julie shook her head and Ashley giggled.

ASHLEY: Not trying to cast stones on your friend, but her parents never said anything about her skirts.

She shook her head.

JULIE: No. And Chie's your typical tomboy.

The two shared a laugh as they sat at a bench by the fountain inside the Callisto Mall. The mall was pretty busy, but nothing beated like a good Saturday morning than talking with a friend. In Inaba, the only place where Julie ever hung out with her friends was in Okina City. There, they shopped for clothes, laughed, talked and even skipped class at one point.

However, given what was happening, now wasn't the time for a chat. Julie had to remember that Ashley called her because of something important and it seemed that Ashley had just remembered the reason why she did so.

ASHLEY: Oh yeah. I've been meaning to tell you about a few things.

Julie nodded.

JULIE: Okay. What is it?

Before she started, Ashley looked around for listening ears and none were present.

ASHLEY: Last night, I went into Hofu to test the power of my Persona, Orithiyia.

JULIE: Ashley...

There was a clear tone of disappointment in her voice.

ASHLEY: I know. I wanted to try out my Persona without any assistance. No offense.

JULIE: None taken. But what time did you enter?

ASHLEY: It was around nine. When I met Tara, she said that anytime around night is good.

JULIE: Good. Going each night by midnight will leave us exhausted. It's probably best if we leave at earlier times.

Ashley nodded in agreement.

JULIE: So what did you learn about your Persona?

ASHLEY: I've been testing out my Persona's abilities while in Hofu. Tara was there and kept check. You know how your Persona had wind abilities?

JULIE: Right. From what I know, your Persona carries a certain elemental ability. Wind, fire, ice, water, earth, etc.

ASHLEY: True. Apparently, Orithiyia knows ice and ailment abilities, along with a few physical skills, as Tara described it. As a matter of fact, Orithiyia even learned a new skill called Mabufu, which Tara said works similarly to that skill Izanami has where she summons multiple cyclones of wind.

JULIE: So you can summon multiple shards of ice?

Ashley nods.

ASHLEY: Precisely.

Suddenly, she turns away for a short while, apparently gathering in all the rights words to make out her next sentence.

ASHLEY: Say Julie... have you heard from Ian?

Julie nodded.

JULIE: Yesterday, actually, while I was on my way home, I talked to him on the train. He said that his father is shipping in a cargo that will take some weeks to get in.

ASHLEY: Oh. Well, Clayton called me last night and said that he tried to call him and he didn't answer.

JULIE: Maybe he was busy.

ASHLEY: That's what I told him until he said that his father called him to see where he was. Julie, I think Ian is missing.

The words that fell from the girl's mouth brought the whole world to a halt. Missing? It was impossible to believe. Julie saw Ian yesterday and talked with him, so for him to just disappear without a trace was... troubling.

JULIE: Missing? Do they know where he went?

Ashley shook her head, a grim and dark expression bearing welcome to her face.

ASHLEY: No. When I talked to Ian's father, he said that Ian was checking out some cargo that was shipped and when he called in to see about him, he wasn't there. Nobody knows where he went and according to Clayton, Riccardo thinks that one of his rivals must've kidnapped him.

JULIE: But...

Despite how the message seemed, Julie knew there was more to the story than what was being let on and Ashley felt relieved to know that her friend was getting the stronger hint.

ASHLEY: But I think that Ian may have been taken to Hofu.

She expected her friend to say this, but her blood ran cold the moment those words were said.

JULIE: Are you sure? You said you went to Hofu last night. Did you see him or anything at all?

She was brought to disappointment as her friend shook her head.

ASHLEY: No. I even asked Tara if someone was brought to Hofu and she said she wasn't sure. Maybe we'll get our answer the next time we meet her.

JULIE: Right. But we have to bring Clayton. This is his friend we're talking about. If Ian was really brought into Hofu, Clayton would want to save his friend.

ASHLEY: Yeah, but Clayton doesn't have a Persona. As far as I know, he doesn't have a weapon to defend himself with.

Ashley was right. Clayton may be fearless and brave, but was live bait if ever taken into Hofu. This was something that needed to be thought through before acting upon and Julie knew it.

JULIE: Alright. We won't go tonight but we'll meet tomorrow night.

ASHLEY: Understood.

The plan was set. With Ian missing in action, the two needed to be certain of his whereabouts. Nobody knew of the realm of Hofu except for Julie and Ashley and they held the power to survive in the realm. However, if Ian was truly in Hofu, then his chances of survival would be a grim outlook. They needed to be certain that he would be saved.

 **-Night: Amano Residence-**

Light taps on her window continued, irritating her eardrums. Each time she laid in her bed, the sound grew faster and the repetition was one that Julie was having trouble tolerating. What was tapping on her window? A bird? A branch moving by the wind? Whatever it was, it began to eat away at her.

Gathering some composure, she turned to the sight of her window and was almost frightened by the sight of a familiar figure who stood crouched at her window. After being shocked, she regained her breath and moved from the bed to the window, relieved to see a familiar face yet slightly astonished to see such a face.

CLAYTON: Hey. Can you let me in? It's freezing as hell out here!

Julie unlocked her window and opened it, allowing Clayton to enter inside, but not before she checked around to make sure there were wandering eyes looking. After closing the window, she turned back to Clayton, who was wearing a brown jacket with a white shirt underneath, khaki shorts and white sneakers.

JULIE: What are you doing here? Better question is how did you leave your house? Ashley said that your dog is very alertive.

CLAYTON: Yeah, but I may have slipped a small dose of sleeping medicine from my dad's cabinet into his dog bowl.

JULIE: Clayton, you didn't...

CLAYTON: I did. I had to see you about Ian and you were the most available since your parents aren't usually home.

JULIE: Okay. What would you like to talk about? And not trying to be picky, but please make haste of it because if my parents found out I let someone in the house, especially a boy into my room, I will be grounded.

CLAYTON: Yeah, yeah, but this is important. It'll only take a minute or two.

A sigh escaped her lips but she knew this had to be important. Otherwise, Clayton wouldn't lead her like this without a reason.

CLAYTON: About this realm, Hofu... do you believe...? Um...

He was trying to gather his words, unsure as to how his sentence should be formatted. However, the moment the word "Hofu" was mentioned, Julie knew clearly where this conversation was going. Before he knew it, Julie was already mouthing out the topic for him.

JULIE: Do you think that Ian is in Hofu?

Once she said it, a sigh escaped his lips and sat on her bed, hands inside the pockets of his jacket. His head hung low and Julie sat beside him, her direction turning directly to Clayton. As she thought, Ian's disappearance and the possibility of their friend being in the realm of Hofu left a chill in his spine.

At first, Clayton didn't believe Julie and Ashley when they told him about the realm but it seemed that he was starting to understand the likeliness of it all. More specifically, the thought of his friend being summoned to that realm frightened him.

CLAYTON: I know it sounds... silly, but... *sighs* For Ian to just up and disappear like that and not even call me...

He shook his head and brought it back up, eyes looking directly at hers in confusion and desperation.

CLAYTON: I don't think that some rival gang was involved in this. If anything like that happened, he would send me a message or something. I normally don't believe in the supernatural, but... Ian's sudden disappearance can't be natural. He's my friend and if I lose him...

His words fell clustered and Julie placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder and stood up.

JULIE: Hang on a minute.

With that said, she walked over to her dresser and grabbed her phone, dialing in Ashley's number.

JULIE: Hey Ash. Change of plans. We're going to Hofu tonight.

ASHLEY: Tonight? But we planned for tomorrow.

JULIE: I know we planned for tomorrow, but...

She turned towards Clayton and he looked back at her with a confused eyes.

JULIE: Clayton is worried. He needs to make sure that Ian is safe.

ASHLEY: Wait. You mean he bought all that stuff about Hofu?

JULIE: Yes and he believes that Ian was summoned there. He wants to be sure and check.

ASHLEY: *sighs* He's in your room, isn't he?

JULIE: Yes. He is. How did you know?

ASHLEY: He tried to sneak through my window until my dad came around. But if we're going to Hofu tonight, then I'll try to get ready.

JULIE: Okay. I'll see you there.

Hanging up, she walked to her closet and grabbed her jacket and some shoes. Clayton got up from the bed and walked over to her, taking the time to notice her pull out a black umbrella, which caused his eyebrows to crease unevenly.

CLAYTON: What's going on? Are we going?

She nods.

JULIE: Yes. Now the means of getting there are... intense.

The comment was rewarded with a skeptical look on his face.

CLATYON: "Intense"? How?

Zipping her jacket, she grabbed her umbrella and walked closer to him, taking hold of his wrist with her right hand and carrying her umbrella with the left.

JULIE: You'll see soon enough.

And with that, she called upon the name of Izanami and within seconds, the two vanished.

 **A/N: And that is the end of Act 5. This story seems rushed but that's what happens when you haven't published your next chapter in weeks. I'm so sorry about that, by the way. Anyway, I'm cancelling Citadel Chaos. Something happened with the next chapter and my story didn't save all the way through. Sorry for fans who enjoyed it, but life tends to be a bitch. I won't stop with this story, though. In the next act, Clayton faces his Shadow. Review!**

 **Also, there's a change in Tara's attire. Since it's not easy to explain, I'll just say this. If you've ever played Mass Effect before, think of Tali's outfit after ME1. I didn't really like the first one, but the second one was... appealing. However, just imagine Tara's being green and two locks of her hair sticking out.**


	6. Act 6

**Act 6: Clayton Lavistor**

 **Part 1: The Idol and the Idolizer**

 **-Hofu-**

CLAYTON: What the hell just happened?! Where are we?!

It all happened so fast. One moment, he was talking with Julie about entering Hofu and the next, she says some strange incantation and it brings them here. The process was completely supernatural, which is something that Clayton often dismissed. However, if that didn't make him a believer in the supernatural, then he must've been one ignorant person to deny everything.

Taking his attention off of Julie, he looked around the area and was haunted by the appeal of this haunting environment. Never had he thought that there would be a sky with a moon as red as the one above him. Were Julie and Ashley really coming here on different nights?

JULIE: We're in Hofu. Ashley and Tara should be here too, if I'm not mistaken.

As if on cue, Ashley and Tara walked up to the two. The moment Clayton laid eyes on Tara, he was curious about her apparel and confused as to why Ashley was carrying a sword in her hands. More importantly, what was she wearing? This was something that Julie took note of as well.

Ashley wasn't wearing any casual attire, but was sporting a cerulean long-sleeved shirt with black cuffs at the wrist and tightened around the waist with a dark blue cloth tied around, skin-tight white pants, short blue boots and black gloves. In honesty, what Ashley was wearing fitted the means of combat. She also noticed Tara carrying an ancient-looking grimoire in her hands. If she's not mistaken, this appeared to be the same grimoire she saw Matthew carrying when she was last in the Velvet Room.

JULIE: Ashley... Where did you get that attire?

She pointed to Tara, who nervously looked away.

ASHLEY: Tara made it for me and she made one for you as well. She said we would want to fight in battle attire since regular clothing can be hazardous in combat.

She then looked back at Julie.

TARA: As I said before, summoning your Persona is tiresome, so you would want to prepare for combat. I've taken liberty in making some combat attire.

That was when she opened the grimoire and turned to a specific page located in the book. Tearing the page out, she threw it directly at Julie as it waved through the wind and spoke an incantation as she did.

TARA: Egnahc reh eritta!

Suddenly, the page spun around her in increasing speed, engulfing Julie in a white light. After a few moments, the light dissipated and Julie looked to see what the spell had done. She was no longer dressed in her jacket and pants, but now sported combat attire that suited to her tastes. She wore a short-sleeved black tribal top with purple seams, skin-tight black pants with a purple cloth-skirt reaching to her knees, cut at right side of her hip to provide leg room, short black boots with purple bottoms, fingerless black gloves with black armbands that reached from the wrist to her elbows and a black choker.

She took the time to measure up her garments, spinning around gracefully and unsheathing the iaito blade inside of her umbrella, which startled Clayton for a second. After a while, she stopped to strike a pose, holding her umbrella with her left hand and her blade with her right, left leg stretched away from her right near the ground. She rose back up and sheathed her blade inside of her umbrella and turned to Tara.

JULIE: I like it! Elegant yet combat-ready!

The smile she flashed at Tara caused the young priestess to nervously rub a lock of her black hair and turn her head directly to the ground. If there's one thing that Julie could say about Tara is that the priestess was rather... shy.

TARA: Well, I've been paying attention to your attire. You have a strange fascination for dark colors. I think an Earthly label for it is... "Gothic"?

Julie shrugged her shoulders and the priestess turned her attention to Clayton, who had obviously been eyeing her ever since coming to this realm.

TARA: Who is he?

Julie turned to Clayton and back to Tara.

JULIE: This is our friend, Clayton. I brought him here because he wants to find Ian and he believes that he may be here.

The priestess turned to Clayton, nodded in agreement with Julie's statement.

CLAYTON: Yeah. I need to find him and I believe he may have come here.

TARA: Okay. But I sense a weak source coming from you, so that means you don't carry a Persona.

Clayton turned back to Julie with a surprised look.

CLAYTON: So you two were right about Personas?

Julie nodded and he turned back to Tara.

CLAYTON: Is he here?

Tara nodded and the three closed in on her, but kept a fair distance away.

TARA: I didn't sense it earlier, but as soon as Ashley arrived, I felt this strong surge of dark energy. The same one I felt in the castle not too long before Ashley confronted her Shadow.

Clayton looked at Ashley with confused eyes, prompting the hazel-eyed young woman to shake her head.

ASHLEY: I rather not talk about it.

The attention directed back to Tara as she explained Ian's sudden summoning into Hofu.

TARA: Anyway, I think I know where this energy is coming from...

She turned away from the group and looked out to the plane, pointing to her left to where the energy was coming from.

TARA: Beyond there is where I felt its power. If possible, your friend may be there and likely came here through summoning. As I said when we met, non-Persona users are unable to come into this world without the assistance of a Persona-user or I and I still don't know who's sending these people in and...

She turned and brought her head to gaze towards the ground, a hint of embarrassment reading in her body expression.

TARA: Well, my tracking abilities are... getting weak. Normally, I can find a strong power source without trouble, but... *sigh* I don't know. I'm not so sure as to how I wish to explain it.

Her right foot began to swerve in circles, creating small dust shots from her foot. Her fingers intertwined in a trembling manner with each other and her two locks of her hair fell over. As she wallowed in her embarrassment, she felt a warm hand graze her shoulder and she looked up to see Julie's affectionate face as a smile bore stronger than the rays of the sun.

JULIE: You shouldn't sell yourself short over your abilities. Whether your powers are getting slightly weaker or not doesn't matter. You've helped us with a lot ever since we came here. If not for you, we wouldn't have found Ashley's Shadow and we wouldn't have known about the Fiends and this realm.

Tara had prompted to speak out of astonishment by what the goth was saying, but was silenced.

JULIE: Just remember that we're here to help you find and solve this problem. Now the next time we're here, don't speak ill about yourself, okay?

Her smile was warm but stern and Tara could understand. Ever since they met, Tara has been speaking down about herself, especially on what she missed or what she lacked. She didn't wield a Persona and while she was a mage, her powers, at least for now, were only useful for support. She didn't know why her powers had become lacking but she knew she had to take faith in Julie's words. After all, she seemed pleased to know that the priestess was assisting them in this time of turmoil and Tara wanted to make sure that she would help them throughout it all.

Tara's face lightened up and she wore a bright smile on her face.

TARA: Thank you, Grandmaster. That means a lot.

JULIE: You're welcome... and "Grandmaster"?

TARA: Back in Truenia, "Grandmaster" means "one who is respected by skill, duty, ingenuity, authority and admiration". They are also our leaders back home, so you're my "Grandmaster".

JULIE: Well, I thank you, Tara.

The priestess nodded again and turned around. On cue, she signaled the others to follow her as she lead them towards the path to where Ian was.

Eventually, after a short period of travelling, they arrived at the area where Ian was and the moment they set their eyes to the building constructed, an unnerving chill was sent down their spines.

As before, the structure was built similar to a castle, but with some haunting oddities to separate it from the commonality. The entire castle was a dark shade of red with pulses of glowing red light beaming dimly through certain sections, its format resembling to blood vessels. It appeared to be made of brick and held gargoyles at the very top of its structure, their fangs coated in the blood shade of red. The front entrance was open and for a moment, the group felt hesitant about going inside.

ASHLEY: So this is where Ian is?

Tara nodded.

TARA: Yes. Like your castle, his was constructed from the fears of his heart and whatever that fear may be, we will know soon enough.

Clayton looked up at the castle again to give it another good view. The design of the castle left a cruel taste in his mouth and his heartbeat ran fast. If his friend was truly in here, then he needed to save him. However, why would Ian's fear be constructed into this form? For all he know, the castle looked like something that escaped from a horror movie and the thought of processing it caused goosebumps to surface on Clayton's skin.

He shook his head, shaking away the hesitancy in his heart. He had a purpose for coming here with these girls: to find and rescue Ian. He knew that without Ian...

CLAYTON: Come on. We need to find him before we're too late.

And like that, he began to place one foot over the other and march into the castle until Ashley grabbed him by the collar, bringing his march to an abrupt halt.

ASHLEY: Not so fast, hotshot! This castle is probably swarming with Fiends! You don't have a weapon and you cannot summon a Persona like us. If you want to see Ian, you have to stick with us!

She released him and he turned back to her. For a moment, he was about to protest until Julie cut him short in his sentence.

JULIE: Ashley's right. We'll find Ian, but you have to stick with us. If you don't, these Fiends will probably tear you apart. Understood?

He didn't agree with the fact of sticking with the girls for protection. His only priority was to rescue Ian and leave. However, he couldn't argue with them when it came to defense. He didn't have a weapon and he couldn't summon a Persona like the others. The only thing he could do was run or hide if he ever encountered a Fiend. A sigh escaped his lips and he looked back at the castle. Another sigh escaped his lips and he turned back to the two.

CLAYTON: Alright. I'll try and stick with you guys the best I can.

The two nodded and turned back to Tara. She walked past them and Clayton and began to lead the way as they ventured inside the castle.

Once they were inside, the girls readied their weapons, preparing for anything to happen. The inside of the castle was just as frightening as the outside. The walls were painted in red, in which dark shades of red liquid seeped through the cracks and creases of the walls, something even from the ceiling and coming down. Each part of the floor held outlined bodies that fitted a murder scene and several pistols and firearms hung on the walls. The carpet was a divine red, but there was a noticeable squishing sound each time the party took a step, although their shoes remained dry.

ASHLEY: Dear God... this came from Ian? What do you think he's afraid of?

TARA: I don't know, but whatever it is, it's something that he has been doing well in hiding.

Tara was correct. Whatever this fear Ian had, it was certainly a haunting one.

JULIE: I don't see any Fiends.

TARA: Well, I sense them. Be ready, some may attack at anytime.

As soon as those words left from her mouth, a voice rung into the air. Everyone caught hold of the voice and analyzed its sound further. It was whispering, or trying to at least. After a few more seconds, Clayton recognized the voice as his eyes widened in shock.

CLAYTON: Oh my God, it's Ian! He's in here! We have to find him!

And like that, he took off in speed down the hall, unaware of where to go... and this irritated Ashley.

ASHLEY: Clayton! Damn it! I told him to stay with us! We need to go after him!

JULIE: Right!

However, before they could run after him, the blood on the walls began to darken. Piles of black smoke gathered around in clusters and soon enough, the girls stop to witness the Fiends emerge. These Fiends bore the resemblance of monstrous black bats with glowing yellow eyes and red wings. Worse of all, there were swarms!

TARA: Blood Bats! Incoming!

Julie quickly initiated by summoning her Persona.

JULIE: I call upon you, Izanami!

Like that, Izanami was summoned and flew towards the bats in blinding speed. Ashley also began to summon her Persona.

She placed a finger on her forehead, which emitted a blue glow on her finger. She then spun, bringing her glowing hand low to the ground and back up to the air, also swinging her sword at the same pace. She brought her hand to a descent and crouched to the ground with her left leg stretching away from her right, back slightly arched, sword pushed away from her standing straight in her grasp and glowing hand forming a significant symbol with her index and middle finger close together, ring and pinky finger curled and thumb underneath. A glowing blue circle formed beneath Ashley and a rushing wind picked up around her.

ASHLEY: Heed my command, Orithiyia!

The Persona, Orithiyia, was summoned and stood in an elegant posture as Blood Bats came towards them. Ashley got up and pointed towards the bats.

ASHLEY: Mabufu!

As commanded, Orithiyia twirled its rapier, forming a white glyph. Suddenly, the glyph began to shoot out multiple small ice shards, directly at the bats, which caused them to howl in pain and disintegrate.

TARA: I take it those Blood Bats are weak to ice and likely water! But be careful, Ashley, because fire can melt ice!

ASHLEY: Figures!

One of the bats flew straight towards Ashley and she quickly reacted by spinning around, holding her sword behind her back and stabbed the bat. Another one came and she swung her sword in an uppercut manner and sliced the other bat in half.

Meanwhile, Julie commanded Izanami to perform Magaru, summoning multiple winds that hit the bats but did not obliterate them.

IZANAMI: _~I've learned a new skill called Megidola. Try performing it!~_

Julie nodded and spoke out her next command.

JULIE: Megidola!

Izanami then summoned white beams of energy at the bats that caused the creatures to stop in their flight. Soon, the light dispersed and it caused the bats to disperse as well. Julie smiled when she saw that the skill had worked. However, there were more. Before Julie could react, Orithiyia had flown towards the next swarm. Stopping once it reached a good height, Orithiyia prepared itself as the swarm flew towards it.

ASHLEY: Marin Karin!

Orithiyia summoned another white glyph and struck at it, causing multiple hearts to fly at the bats. Once the hearts touched the bats, they stopped momentarily and hearts began to flash in their eyes. Interestingly as well, the bats began to fight each other.

ASHLEY: Alright Julie! Now give it to them!

Julie turned back at Ashley, nodding and back at the bats.

JULIE: Megidola!

Izanami casted upon more beams of white energy at the bats and as soon as it connected, the bats were obliterated, clearing their path.

Ashley and Tara ran up to Julie as their Personas descended.

ASHLEY: We need to find Clayton before something happens! I told that little jackass to stay put!

TARA: Don't worry, these Fiends won't attack Clayton! He doesn't have a Persona.

JULIE: Well, whatever the case, we can't leave without him! Move out!

The two nodded under Julie's command and ran down the hall to find their friend.

 **-Meanwhile-**

Clayton was running down an endless hall as it seemed, but that didn't eliminate his determination. He knew Ian was here and he knew he had to save him.

CLAYTON: I'm coming Ian! Just hang in there for a little bit longer!

His legs began to ache and he could feel his lungs tightening as they struggle to gather in oxygen. He didn't care. Ian was his priority for now. No matter what happened, he needed to save his friend. Eventually, luck struck upon him as he caught sight of a wooden-red door and performed one final sprint. As he reached the door, he pushed it open but only to find himself in another room set opposite from how the rest of the castle appeared. Granted the room was a dark shade of red, the only known oddities was that it bore the resemblance to Clayton's room.

There was his bed, TV, rug, closet, everything that Clayton could recognize from his room was present. Why did Ian's castle house Clayton's room?

CLAYTON: This is weird. Ian!

He began shouting out his name, hoping his friend would hear him. When he didn't get a response from the first attempt, he yelled again.

CLAYTON: Ian! Are you in here?!

Still no response. Before he could call out his name again, Ian's voice was heard.

IAN'S VOICE: I'm not like everybody else. I have different... purposes.

A gasp failed to go unnoticed from Clayton's lips and he looked around the room, hoping to find him.

CLAYTON: Ian! Where are you?! We're here to save you!

However, the voice didn't respond to Clayton's statement, but continued speaking, almost as if it wasn't paying not a single amount of attention to Clayton.

IAN'S VOICE: Clayton... He's my friend. More than a friend, he's like a brother to me.

Clayton walked closer and stood at the middle of his bedroom, hoping to find Ian, but had no luck.

CLAYTON: Dammit! He's not here! I have to look somewhere else!

Before he could turn around and walk out of the room, the next thing the voice said caught his attention.

IAN'S VOICE: But... are brothers supposed to be jealous of the other?

He halted in his tracks and looked up at the ceiling in confusion, turning around even.

CLAYTON: What?

IAN'S VOICE: I mean, Clayton is... well, he's everything that I'm not.

He blinked a few times, trying to adjust to what the voice was saying.

IAN'S VOICE: He has a mother and a father, an ordinary house, an ordinary lifestyle and an enjoyable environment. But for me... I don't have that.

CLAYTON: Huh?

IAN'S VOICE: All I have is work, helping my father with his mafia to show him what a "good son" I am, keeping aware of the police and always being interrogated by police. To be honest, I'm jealous of Clayton.

CLAYTON: Wait. He's... jealous of me?

IAN'S VOICE: Plus, Clayton is your ordinary guy, but what I admire most about him is that he's a fireball. He's not afraid to stand up for himself when the odds are against him, he's sociable and outgoing, he's pretty funny and...

There was a pause in the voice's statement and Clayton listened carefully to prepare for whatever the voice had to say. That was when the room around him began to change. Leaks of blood seeped through the walls, some brighter than the other. The effect was haunting, but what the voice said next took Clayton aback.

IAN'S VOICE: He's free to choose his own path. And that makes me jealous of him.

CLAYTON: S-Seriously...?

IAN'S VOICE: Sometimes, I wish that I could trade places with him. He talks about how my life seems adventurous and everything, but he doesn't know what it's really like. It's not like Godfather or Scarface. Actually, it's in some resemblance, but life as the son of a gangster is not glamorous. There are people who are plotting on taking my life just to get close to my father and some may even try to kill my father.

CLAYTON: ...

IAN'S VOICE: Clayton doesn't have to worry about that. He has a family who loves him and is not forcing him to do anything. When we were kids, I always enjoyed coming over to his house. Everything was plain and simple, which is something I feel I can be quickly accustomed to. It's one of the reasons I became friends with him. He's the opposite of me and I like that. But I just wish that... I can trade places with him. I hate being envious of him. He's my friend and I shouldn't be jealous. But...

The voice grew silent. Everything that Clayton had spoke of doing ever since coming to Hofu suddenly went dark. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. These were Ian's thoughts that he heard and everything that was said seemed... unusual. Ian was jealous of him?

CLAYTON: Jealous of me? But... why me? Why was he jealous?

CLAYTON'S VOICE: Yeah right! Jealous of me? Ha! Boy isn't that a shocker? Quite frankly, I'm the one jealous of him.

He grew alert by the sound of the voice and alarmed when he learned that it was his voice!

CLAYTON: What the hell?! Who said that?!

Suddenly, the bedroom began to deform and Clayton found himself in a wide area set opposite from the rest of the castle. Then he felt a dark presence forming behind his back and he turned around just in time to bear witness to something unexpected. Standing before Clayton was him! However, there was a dark blue aura radiating around the being and the figure's eyes were a demonic yellow. Its eyes were slightly constricted, hinting that the figure was a crazed individual... a crazed individual wearing Clayton's face and figure.

That was when Julie, Ashley and Tara had arrived and stood astonished to see the other "Clayton".

TARA: There's two of them?!

ASHLEY: It's like mines! When I saw the other me!

JULIE: So that means what we were thinking was true. Each time someone is brought here, they are confronted by their other selves.

Clayton turned back at the three and back at the Shadow, its laughter drawing his full attention. This thing... this phantom of some sort was him? He shook his head in disbelief, which only added to the Shadow's amusement.

SHADOW CLAYTON: Well, since you guys seem to get the understanding, I guess introductions are a no-go! But you must know...

The Shadow directed its attention at Clayton.

SHADOW CLAYTON: I am you and you are me!

CLAYTON: What?! H-How?! How are we the same?!

The Shadow chuckled once more, its sociopathic expression frightening Clayton. The expression of the Shadow was different when Ashley confronted her Shadow. If Julie remembered correctly, Ashley's Shadow appeared calm yet held a sadistic expression, its eyes standing full. However, Clayton's bore a sociopathic expression, which strongly suggested that it was crazed.

SHADOW CLAYTON: Oh come on! Remember? Entering a dark and terrifying realm where Fiends roamed to find your friend? If I recall correctly, your words were to find Ian and rescue him. That's sounds reasonable enough. Besides, Ian is my best friend! Nothing can happen to him! I won't allow anything to happen to that boy! He's such a popular student, captain of the Martial Arts team and he's sooo handsome... and he has an annoying, arrogant little bastard like me running to him to save him because that's what friends do! Or at least that's what I tell myself...

Confusion was read on Clayton's face.

CLAYTON: Huh? He is my friend! I don't leave my friends behind!

The Shadow shook its head, its smile lingering on its face.

SHADOW CLAYTON: Honestly, I'm jealous of him. He's everything that I'm not. He's popular, strong, handsome, intelligent and everything else. As for me? I'm not so smart, unpopular, weak as a bird and apparently by some of the girls at our school, "cute".

The Shadow's face darkened and a menacing frown was stuck on its face.

SHADOW CLAYTON: Hell, I'm much shorter than he is. He's, what, 5'10" and I'm 5'5"? He weighs at least 175 lbs. while I weigh 123 lbs. He's just so perfect, but I'm not! I'm nowhere at his level and act like I do! He's got all the achievements he's made, while the only achievement I can give is being manager for the baseball team! So why should he be jealous of me?! He's perfect, goddamn it!

CLAYTON: H-Hey! Knock it off!

SHADOW CLAYTON: But that's why I need him.

A darkening aura radiated around the room. Julie could tell that the Shadow began to hit Clayton where it hit: his true fear. Clayton's breath grew heavy and his blood began to run cold.

SHADOW CLAYTON: Without him, I'm nothing. I wasn't shit until I met Ian. Back then, no one even responded to a word I said until I met Ian. I may get on some people's nerves, but at least I finally got SOME attention! If not for Ian, I may still be alone.

CLAYTON: ...

SHADOW CLAYTON: Ian is someone I can use for leverage. He's someone that I hold ideally! In a sense, he's my God!

CLAYTON: Shut up...

The Shadow continued to berate and torment Clayton, bringing the boy to his knees in agony of the harsh words.

SHADOW CLAYTON: I worship the ground he walks on and without him, I will be lost! If he were to die now, then what would be the point of living?! I need him alive! I cannot let anything happen to him! It's not a matter of friendship, it's a matter of having a purpose for living! Ian is my true purpose, my only reason as to why I continue to live this miserable hellhole I call a life! I don't want to be alone again! Ashley may even leave me and probably Julie! If not for Ian, I would've never met them!

Was this how Clayton really felt? Is this what he really feared? If Ian were to die today, Julie would not depart Clayton and she's pretty certain that Ashley wouldn't do the same. However, she couldn't deny that this was what Clayton feared, even if Julie and Ashley were to leave him or not.

CLAYTON: Stop it! Stop it!

He brought his head low to the ground, shielding away from the torment... away from his fears. The Shadow walked up to the curled up young boy.

SHADOW CLAYTON: Nothing! Nothing can happen to him! I- I don't want to be alone! I need him! I NEED HIM!

Clayton abruptly brought his head up to the Shadow, got up from the ground and marched toward him, placing his hands on the Shadow's shoulders.

CLAYTON: Dammit! Shut up! Just shut up!

As Clayton shook the Shadow, it brought its head to the ground and Clayton breathed heavily. Suddenly, the Shadow chuckled and brought its head up to face him.

SHADOW CLAYTON: That's my worst fear. Losing a purpose for living and that purpose is Ian. He's a priority. Something needed so you can continue with whatever you wish to do. I've never been high on suicide, but what's the reason for living if my purpose is gone? Right, me?

The Shadow's smile grew wider and Clayton pushed away from it, shaking his head in defiance.

CLAYTON: No. No! Hell no!

The Shadow's aura grew stronger. Julie gasped as she realized what was going to happen and Ashley caught onto it as well.

ASHLEY: Clayton! Wait!

However, her words passed through his ears and with a bellowing loud voice, he denied his Shadow.

CLAYTON: You're not me! You hear me, you bastard?! You are not me!

That was when it began. The Shadow began to laugh, but more than it should and dark energy began to gather slowly around it. Clayton backed away from the being, terrified.

SHADOW CLAYTON: Hahahahahahahahaha! I'm not you, am I?! Is that it?! Hehehehehehehehehehe... AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Smoke gathered on the Shadow, covering its body completely. Suddenly, the Shadow's size and structure grew in length and height, forcing Clayton to run away from the being as he stood beside Tara. Once the smoke dispersed, the Shadow's true form was shown.

The Shadow stood tall, its body colored brown with a few features characteristic to Ian. The Shadow's hair was a slick black with the lower half cut and it wore diamond earrings, along with a silver watch and dressed in Ian's business suit. The Shadow did not have a face and sat on top of a block of stone. What was significant yet disturbing about the Shadow's appeal was the crown of thorns on its head.

SHADOW CLAYTON: I am a Shadow... of your worst nightmare...

Julie turned to Tara.

JULIE: Protect Clayton! Ashley and I will handle this!

Tara nodded and brought Clayton with her to safety.

TARA: Noitcetorp deilf!

A growing green energy field stood as a barrier between the two and the Shadow. The Shadow began to laugh maniacally as the two girls ran towards it.

SHADOW CLAYTON: Well, aren't you girls brave? Not that it matters, anyway, because I'll crush you two!

On cue, the Shadow summoned two rock boulders and hurled them at the girls. They stopped and quickly summoned their Personas, but dodged away from the boulders as quickly as they could.

The Shadow summoned another boulder, this time hurdling at Clayton and Tara. The two held each other in preparation for the strike until Izanami rushed forth and held out its hand, causing a surge of wind energy to pulse through and blow the boulder away, flying over the Shadow's head and hitting the ground with a tremendous thud.

It growled at Izanami and formed a hammer made purely out of rock, preparing to strike the Persona until Ashley reacted.

ASHLEY: Orithiyia!

Orithiyia flew towards the hammer at increasing speed and Ashley gave out its next command.

ASHLEY: Frost link! Now!

The Persona's rapier began to glow and it stopped. In a quick amount of time, Orithiyia brought its sword above its shoulder and swung downwards, causing a sword-shaped ice structure to fly at the hammer. Once the structure connected, the rock began to freeze and shattered. Apparently unaware of the outcome, the Shadow staggered back a bit.

TARA: It's weak to ice!

JULIE: Ashley! Go!

Ashley nodded and sent out her next command. Orithiyia flew towards the Shadow as it was still in its staggered state and held an elegant posture.

ASHLEY: Mabufu!

Orithiyia began to form a circle with its rapier, forming a glyph and multiple ice shards began to fly at the Shadow from the glyph. As Tara predicted, the Shadow proved vulnerable to ice attacks as it cried out in pain. After the skill was complete, Ashley prepared for a next command.

ASHLEY: Frost link!

As done before, Orithiyia formed an ice-sword structure and sent it flying towards the Shadow. Once it connected, the Shadow fell off of the stone and to the ground with a thud twice as tremendous than the boulder's landing.

SHADOW CLAYTON: Alright! No more Mr. Nice Guy!

The Shadow got back up and brought its arms forward.

SHADOW CLAYTON: Let's see you try and use your ice magic on me now!

A white wall structure began to form around the Shadow, eventually disappearing as it began. Ashley paid no heed to it and commanded Orithiyia to perform another ice attack. However, she was caught by surprise when the attack deflected.

ASHLEY: How in the-?! Again!

Orithiyia shot more ice shards at the Shadow, but as before, there was no damage given to the Shadow. After a few more attempts, it was proven that the Shadow was somehow able to resist vulnerability to any and all ice attacks. Ashley gritted her teeth as Oritihiyia descended beside her, clutching at the handle of her sword with frustration. The Shadow chuckled once Ashley's fruitless efforts ceased in execution.

SHADOW CLAYTON: Hahaha! Some fighter you are!

The Shadow began to form a boulder stone that wasn't any bigger than the size of a chandelier within the palm of its hand. As soon as it finished forming, it carefully brought it over Ashley's head as she looked up at it in shock. She wished to move before the Shadow could drop it on her, but for some reason, she felt unable to move.

ASHLEY: What?

Suddenly, she fell to her knees, panting for breath with heavy lungs. What was wrong with her?

ASHLEY: Why am I so tired? I didn't even move that much!

Julie made her attempt to run over to her and looked up as she saw the Shadow let out a battle cry and drop the boulder directly on top of Ashley. Still several inches away, Julie felt all was lost as the boulder got closer and Ashley just prepared herself for the worst to happen. Then suddenly, time began to slow and before Julie's eyes she saw the one person she never thought she would see before...

JULIE: Matthew?

The familiar blue-clad young male looked at Julie with a warm smile on his face, compendium in hand as he turned a page.

MATTHEW: As said before, the power of the Wild Card allows you to summon more than one Persona. With each new Social Link you activate, you unlock the ability to use a new Persona.

He turned a few more pages and finally stopped at a blank page. However, the page was recreated with images and writing, in which the main image Julie could see was Ashley. Actually, it wasn't much of an image, but a flashback. This was where she talked to Ashley on the roof of the school and saw the smile on her face. Beside Ashley was a tarot card, which held the Empress Arcana. This was Ashley's Arcana.

MATTHEW: You've set up a new Social Link with Ashley Lewis, which will allow you to unlock Personas of the Empress Arcana.

Then Matthew vanished from her eyes, being replaced with an image of the Empress Arcana. She heard Izanami's voice afterwards.

IZANAMI: _~You can summon a new Persona. I will be with you, but you now have the assistance of other Persona. Good luck.~_

With a nod, Julie called back Izanami as the Persona vanished. Performing the same procedure she did before, she could feel a new presence escape from her mind and release into the atmosphere and its name came clear in her mind...

JULIE: Senri! Perform Agi!

Before Julie was not Izanami, but Senri. The being bore an Eastern farmer girl's garment with a blue overall dress with a white long-sleeve gown underneath, red strings laced into the overall at the top, a matching blue farmer's hat, long blonde hair and held pink skin with bare feet. As commanded, Senri spun around playfully and fired a fireball from its left hand, directly at the boulder, cindering the rock that would've crushed Ashley into ashes.

Ashley witnessed this and looked at Julie with astonishment read all over her face. Not that she could blame her, especially since Julie was able to summon not only Izanami, but more Personas. Could she even do that?

The Shadow staggered by the accomplished attempt, grunting aggravatingly.

SHADOW CLAYTON: What the hell?! How are you-?!

The Shadow was at a loss for words for once and Julie proceeded to attack. She pointed to the Shadow and Senri flew to it.

JULIE: Makajam!

The Persona spun around once more, channeling green energy in its hands and covered the Shadow with the same energy. Covered in a green aura, the Shadow attempted to summon more rocks and boulders but was unable to. It tried again, which produced null results.

This greatly infuriated the Shadow.

SHADOW CLAYTON: Why you?! I'll kill you for that, bitch!

Suddenly, the Shadow grabbed a hammer made of stone from its back and attempted to smash Julie with it, only for her to dodge out of the way in time. Ashley had regained stamina and ran over to Julie.

ASHLEY: It's still strong! What do we do now?!

The Shadow roared in anger, swinging its hammer with great fury. Julie then turned over to Clayton, who kneeled to the ground behind Tara's leg. Taking another look at the Shadow, Julie turned around and ran over to the field that Tara casted to protect her and Clayton. Clayton looked up at the British female once her presence was brought to attention.

JULIE: Clayton! You have to face your Shadow! You must admit your fears!

This statement was rewarded with an expression of bewilderment. By then, Ashley had ran over to them, holding her sword outward.

CLAYTON: What are you talking about?! Th-That thing... it's...

JULIE: Clayton...

The tone of her voice was replaced with compassion, interrupting Clayton's sentence. Ashley looked at him too, replacing the combat-ready glance with steady and gentle eyes, finding ability in placing herself in Clayton's situation.

ASHLEY: That thing is you. It's your other half: your replica of your worst fears.

CLAYTON: ...

ASHLEY: Listen, the same thing happened to me, so I know how it feels, but you can't allow it to control you. It's only getting stronger because you're denying your fears.

JULIE: Clayton, I know it's not easy to accept what you are afraid of but it's worth the risk. If you don't accept your fears, you may never be able to save Ian.

That thought haunted him more than anything, but led to wonder. He tried to believe that he was only saving Ian because of a matter of friendship. They've been friends since they were children and Clayton reminisced the first time they met.

 **-Flashback-**

It was a cloudy day and the forecast had said that rainfall was to be expected, but at a much later time. Clayton was only five at the time, taking Rocky, who was a puppy at the time, for a walk. He wore a white shirt with a brown motif at the center, blue shorts and white and brown sneakers. He was walking in the park with Rocky, which wasn't entirely active that day, given the weather reports. His parents told him that Rocky must be walked before the rain settled in.

As for now, the rain hadn't come and Clayton didn't think to bring an umbrella with him, something he had a bad habit of doing.

CLAYTON: Why didn't I bring an umbrella? It might rain!

He groaned in frustration and continued his walk. As he continued walking, Rocky suddenly turned loose from his grip, adding more to Clayton's frustration.

CLAYTON: Oh come on! Rocky!

He began running after his dog as it ran across the playground. Given his youth, Clayton didn't waste much oxygen when running but was equally delicate. He panted as he tried to catch up with the pup, who was surprisingly fast to be considered a puppy. Eventually, the dog stopped and Clayton slowed down a little until he saw where the dog stopped at.

He found Rocky walk over to Ian, who was the same age as Clayton during the time. Back then, Ian had a full head of black hair and his skin was lighter than before. He wore a black-collared shirt tucked into black slacks and black dress shoes. Even then, he still had his earrings and his hair was brushed back. He also had softer facial features like Clayton.

As soon as Rocky walked up to him, Ian looked down at the dog and smiled once he saw it, petting his head, which earned satisfied barks. Clayton walked up closer and eventually, grabbed Rocky's leash.

CLAYTON: Rocky! Don't run off like that!

Clayton then turned to Ian with an apologetic smile.

CLAYTON: My bad. Rocky usually doesn't act like that. I hope he didn't bother you.

The boy shook his head and smiled at Clayton.

IAN: It was no trouble at all. Your dog didn't bother me.

CLAYTON: Whew! Well, that's a relief. By the way, I haven't seen you around here, are you new?

He nodded.

IAN: Yes. I'm from New York, but my parents moved here yesterday. I'm just walking around to get a view of the city before I start school. Father's orders.

Clayton nodded and sat beside Ian, his grip on Rocky's leash not loosening as the dog came in closer. Clayton petted his head and looked at Ian.

CLAYTON: What's your name?

Before he could answer, Ian hesitated. Sensing his hesitation, Clayton walked closer to him and sat beside him, extending a hand that caught Ian by surprise, especially by how big Clayton's smile was.

CLAYTON: My name is Clayton Lavistor and I live here. See it's that easy!

The joke prompted the toddler Ian to giggle and he reached in to shake hands with Clayton.

IAN: My name is Ian de Luca.

And with that, a new friendship had begun.

CLAYTON'S THOUGHTS: _~And through that day, we became friends. Years later, things began to change. I met Ashley through Ian and I even met Julie through Ian and after all this time, I thought that he was the perfect guy. ... *sigh* Why am I lying to myself? I am jealous of him. He's an achieving student, has a notorious lifestyle and where am I at? Suburbs, a nuisance to most of the people at school and nowhere near as smart as he is. But...~_

What was he afraid by admitting his fears? Clayton knew that without Ian, his life would be incomplete and this thought frightened him. Ian was... everything that he wasn't and Clayton only needed him just for the purpose of feeling important. Maybe that wasn't how friends, especially childhood friends, should treat each other, but Clayton knew that he had to face up to his fears and stop running.

 **-End of Flashback-**

By then, Tara had brought the protection field down and allowed Clayton to walk up to his Shadow with a wave of bravery splashing over him. He could see the anger in the Shadow, the fear and the resentment. This beast was born from his heart and he hated that he allowed it to extend to this level.

CLAYTON: I know you're right.

Suddenly, as the Shadow's rampaging could continue, it stopped and looked down at Clayton.

SHADOW CLAYTON: What?!

CLAYTON: I said you're right!

He said again, but louder this time.

CLAYTON: I am afraid and I admit that I'm nowhere near to Ian's level!

SHADOW CLAYTON: That's right! I need him alive! What good will having a purpose do if he's gone?!

CLAYTON: You're wrong!

The Shadow stopped once again and Clayton was allowed to speak his mind to the Shadow; admitting his fears and accepting himself.

CLAYTON: It wasn't a matter of Ian no longer being my leverage or him dying that scared me, but it was losing a purpose for living. I didn't have many friends growing up and even now, people consider me to be a pain-in-the-ass. I was tired of being alone and when Ian became my friend... it was like I had nothing to fear anymore. I wasn't going to be alone and I had something that would motivate me to live. I may idolize him and be envious of him, but he is my friend and... I accept you!

However, the Shadow responded differently. Similar to how Ashley's Shadow reacted when she accepted it as her, his Shadow did the same, rampaging further with shouts and screams of anger.

SHADOW CLAYTON: NOOOOOOOO!

Now was their chance!

Ashley was exhausted, but seemed able to throw in another attack. She pointed to the Shadow and gave Orithiyia another command.

ASHLEY: Tempest slash!

Orithiyia then flew towards the Shadow and once it got close enough, it slashed the Shadow three times with its rapier. The first time caused the Shadow to drop its rock hammer, the second time caused the Shadow to stagger and the third time caused the Shadow to fall to its back, initiating a tremendous thud once it landed.

ASHLEY: Julie! Now!

Julie nodded and switched out Personas. Now having Izanami again, Julie pointed to the downed Shadow, sending Izanami flying into the air as it awaited its next command.

JULIE: Garula!

And with that, Izanami summoned a cyclone of wind from the ground where the Shadow laid, but this time, the cyclone was stronger. It lifted the Shadow from the ground and sent it speeding up into the ceiling, grunting in pain once it was slammed onto it. As the wind's speed picked up, the Shadow began to break apart and fold, screaming in pain as it knew that its reign of terror was coming to an abrupt end.

SHADOW CLAYTON: Ow! Ah! AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!

The final blast of gust sent the Shadow into obliteration and it returned in its weakened state.

Part 2: The Magician

As the Shadow descended to the ground, Clayton walked towards it and stopped as it feet touched the ground. The Shadow looked up at Clayton, its expression weakened with defeat. A smile cover his face and Clayton walked up closer to the Shadow, placing a hand on its shoulder.

CLAYTON: I'm sorry that I didn't see it through. I'm such a damn coward! But... I promise to no longer deny who you are... and you are me.

As with Ashley's Shadow, the Shadow shone a weak but warm smile, its eyes full with enlightenment. Then suddenly, the Shadow's figure began to disintegrate into a blue outline and its figure changed. Once the process was complete, the Shadow was no more and a new entity came into sight.

This entity bore silver battle armor with a silver chest-plate, greaves and shoulder paddings. However, its wrists had rocks that were worn as bands and two blocks of stone replaced his feet. Notably, its eyes and top of the head were covered by a rectangular-shaped stone and it carried a mighty war hammer with a steel blade and wooden handle. After accepting his fears and taken part the Shadow that was born from him, Clayton's resolve awoken into the Persona, Harpocrates.

The Persona's body quickly faded away into a tarot that came floating down from where it stood. The three girls walked up to him to see what the tarot card was... it was the Magician. The Arcana represented action, initiative, self-confidence, manipulation and power to harness one's talents. It was fitting to describe Clayton. The card then vanished from his hands and the following process involved a translucent brown light to encircle his head. He closed his eyes and reopen them as a bright brown light shone in his eyes, reverting back to their natural color.

CLAYTON: Harpocrates... So I wield a Persona, now?

The following answers were met with hugs as the girls almost dog-piled him upon getting his new Persona. Clayton was equally happy, knowing now that he was capable of fighting Fiends and knew that through this power, he would be able to assist the team in their endeavors.

ASHLEY: Alright, Clayton! Now you're one of us!

JULIE: How do you feel?

There was a pause before Clayton could mouth out a response. When he did, he fell to his knees, breathing heavily in exhaustion. This happened to Ashley when she received her Persona.

ASHLEY: This happened to me too. When I received my Persona, I was exhausted.

JULIE: So I was right. When we receive our Personas, we become exhausted. We need to get back.

ASHLEY: Right. Besides, I still feel exhausted for some reason.

As the idea was suggested, Clayton, weakly, rose up from his knees and stood in protest.

CLAYTON: What?! N-No! We can't leave now! We have to find Ian before it's too late!

When he said that, Ashley planned to tell him about his proclamation but was stopped when Julie placed her hand on her shoulder and looked back at Clayton with a stern face.

JULIE: Clayton. I understand how you feel. Ian is a friend of mines as well and I want to see him safe and alive just as much as you do, but we can't continue like this. Ashley's exhausted and you just received your Persona.

Tara nodded.

TARA: Grandmaster's correct. You do not wield a weapon and I don't have any battle attire for you as of now. Plus, each time your Persona is summoned, you begin to feel tired. It comes from using spells and magic and right now, Ashley is too exhausted to continue.

JULIE: If you care about Ian, you will wait before you go.

A hard choice to make but one that Clayton quickly began to understand. As much as he hated it, he knew that he didn't have the energy to go after and rescue his friend and if he did, he would have to fight against Fiends as well since he has a Persona. The following sequences would tire him out and Clayton would be lucky if he managed to reach Ian at this state.

Looking at the back of him, he turned to the girls and nodded.

CLAYTON: Alright. How long does Ian have?

TARA: Until the next time it rains.

ASHLEY: And I just watched the weather report. It won't rain until Monday, so for now, we're good.

JULIE: We'll go tomorrow night if that's fine with you.

Clayton nodded.

CLAYTON: Alright.

ASHLEY: Also, tomorrow's the weekend, so we need to meet at the Callisto Mall and make plans as to how we will rescue him.

Julie nodded.

JULIE: Right. Now let's go home.

After explaining the procedure to Clayton in regards of returning home, he stood by Julie while she stood in the middle and Tara glanced at the three, hands stretched out as she prepared her incantation.

TARA: Dnes eseht eerht ot rieht laudividni semoh!

A white light engulfed them and in moments, they were gone.

 **A/N: And there is Act 6! So sorry for the long update! School and bullsh** got in the way. However, I must inform you all that these updates will be long so please be patient! I haven't started work on that Persona 3 fan fiction, but I promise that I will! Also, I will be turning 19 this year! Man, I'm getting old... Anyway, in the next act, there won't be any action. As much as I want to finish Ian's confrontation with his Shadow, as a writer, I need to learn to tell a story. So I'm sorry for some of the parts that I rushed and I promise that I will try to make my stories more tale-wise, just with a decent amount of detail if I can. I'm not so good with detail. Much thanks to Shaman94, Guest, Zireks, Samone152 and Sarosha for being faithful reviewers and a review from Zireks has really got me considering on what I'm doing with this story. They mentioned that they enjoyed that P4 reference I made in Act 1 but worried that I may rely on it more. Well, I'm trying to make this story dark, but add a little light for fun. There are some elements of Persona 2 and Persona 3 added into this story, but overall, I'm trying to make it unique. As far as I know, there's not a Persona game that focuses on fear as its theme. But I promise that the jokes I will make will be original and I hope you enjoy the story. With that said, the scene in which Clayton hears Ian's voice references to Persona 4 where Chie was confronted with Yukiko's voice. As I said, Clayton and Ian are practically the equivalent of Chie and Yukiko, but I won't rely on that for much longer just to keep this story fresh! Review!**


	7. Act 7

**A/N: Hey guys, something happened with my save for the story and it won't load up my previous chapters. I copied and pasted the acts in the documents on this website, so my acts are not entirely lost, but I can't open them through my documents on the laptop, even though they're saved on a flash drive! It's just one thing after the next... Anyway, I'm not giving up on this story because out of all the others I have written, this is my favorite and I don't want to give up on that. Besides, I have a penchant on giving up on projects when I started on them and I'm working on getting this one finished, even if it takes another year! Hopefully, it won't. Also, I'm on as , so if you can, please follow me! Now onto Act 7! We won't see Ian face his Shadow until Act 8, but stay tuned. Also, Ashley undergoes a change in winter wardrobe and Julie's wardrobe undergoes a slight alteration. Plus, besides Persona 3 Testament, I've been thinking about making another story that's similar to the first Persona game. Not saying I will write it, but it has been on my mind for some time. Of course, this means I will have to think on different Personas, characters, Arcana and storyline. My job in creativity never ceases in work it appears. One last thing to note (I promise this is the last one) is that Tara undergoes a slight change in dialogue. Becoming a fan of Dragon Age myself, I've decided that Tara would speak using some medieval dialect such as "tis", "twas", "thou", and words that end in "eth". Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Act 7: The True Fear Begins**

 **-Unknown Black Area-**

UNKNOWN FIGURE: It seems our little heroine has managed to save yet another soul and now there are two more who wield the same power as she.

Whatever this figure was, it held a dark and frightening tone of voice that spoke rather calm and collectively. Its appearance was blackened out but it stood at great height, almost monuementous, and under it was an unknown individual who was also blackened out. The creature brought its hands to its face and looked down at its "servant", causing the figure below to tremble.

UNKNOWN FIGURE: How are the plans going? Did they reach this Ian person?

The figure below shook its head fervently, but when it spoke, it spoke in a calm manner.

UNKNOWN SERVANT: No. One of the other Persona-users was given his Persona on the night they had planned to rescue him. However, he instead confronted a Shadow born from him and thus awakened to his Persona. Fortunately for us, they were too exhausted to continue and decided to wait until this night to rescue him.

Once the servant finished speaking, the creature looked up again, seemingly in thought.

UNKNOWN FIGURE: Very well. However, I cannot allow our plans to be jeapordized by some human. Since they will be searching for their friend tonight, how about we make their plans harder?

 **-August 21, 2010: Saturday: Callisto Mall-**

 **-Morning-**

JULIE: So when is Clayton supposed to get here?

ASHLEY: He said 9:00 am, but knowing him, he won't get here till eleven.

Julie and Ashley were sitting at a round table, facing each other from opposite seats as they awaited for their friend's arrival. They've been waiting for him since eight in the morning, but he was almost ten and he still hadn't shown. It was a calm August morning and everyone in the mall wore light jackets or long-sleeve shirts. Julie wore a black lace shawl with long sleeves, a purple top, black pants and short black boots with black bracelets on her wrists. Ashley wore a royal blue jacket that was unzipped to reveal her white tunic with blue jeans, white four-inch slippers and diamond earrings. Both worn their hair in ponytails, with Julie using a black bow to keep hers tied.

ASHLEY: If you weren't such a bright person, I would've labeled you a "Goth".

JULIE: Well, I like black, purple, dark purple, dark blue and et cetera.

ASHLEY: *sigh* Anyway, how do you think Clayton's taking what happened? I mean, we just witnessed his Shadow and his worst fears.

The following comment brought upon a heavy silence to the table as they lingered onto the events that took place last night.

ASHLEY: I knew Ian was important to him, but... for Ian to be a priority? ... I never thought...

Julie could tell that Ashley was in internal conflict with herself. After all, she had history with the two boys, but never knew just how strong Clayton's loyalty to his friend was. The fact that Ian was his only purpose for living was something to think about. She feared staring into her reflection because of how she looked, but began to wonder about Clayton.

JULIE: Ash...

ASHLEY: ... I'm okay. I just need to wrap my head over this for a bit.

JULIE: Well, how do you want to talk to Clayton about this?

The question brought the atmosphere deeper than where it stood and the intensity was thick enough to take notice. Ashley's eyes drifted down on the table, searching for whatever answer she could find, but failed to piece together a correct method of words. A heavy sigh escaped her lips and she brought her eyes back to Julie.

ASHLEY: ... I don't know. I can't tell him to "pull himself together" because I'm still healing from my encounter with my Shadow. Everything he denied that his Shadow said, I was in that same position.

JULIE: So you believe it would be best if you _did not_ talk to Clayton about it?

ASHLEY: Well, maybe we should ask if he's okay, but taken no further. I think he still needs time to heal. Besides, he just received his Persona.

JULIE: Excellent point.

After the conversation ended, Ashley spotted Clayton's presence approaching them. Julie turned over to see him approach, dressed in the same appareil on the same night when his Shadow attacked. She decided to take the time to observe him, worried that he may still be bruised by the ordeal with the Shadow. However, his entire aura seemed to be... normal. He had a smile on his face, his walk seemed calm and collected and there was no sign of tension in his muscles. He actually appeared to be calm and steady, but Julie could tell that he was beyond repair. Not as if he was damaged enough to resist communication with the outside world, but enough that forceful appearance could be noted.

He approached the table and pulled a chair from the table, taking a seat and looking at the two girls.

CLAYTON: Hey guys. How's it going?

Julie turned to Ashley, who looked visibly gobsmacked by his casual attitude. Of course, Julie had to believe that the hazel-eyed girl sensed the damage inside the young man. For one, Ian was still in Hofu, trapped inside the castle with his life being measured on a libra scale. Lastly, the girls witnessed Clayton's worse fears being shown to them; the fear of no longer living with a purpose. Despite how it seemed, Julie knew that truly, Clayton was afraid of living alone. He and Ian have been friends for the longest time and as she witnessed, Clayton never really had friends until he met Ian.

ASHLEY: Good. How about you?

CLAYTON: I'm good.

The conversation went silent for a short moment before Clayton continued.

CLAYTON: So what's the plan? Are we going into Hofu tonight?

The girls looked at him with bewilderment before they answered. They noticed how serious he was about this and this shocked them a little.

ASHLEY: Y-You're ready to go into Hofu? But you don't have a weapon!

CLAYTON: I've gotten that taken care of. I purchased a mace from a weapon store in the mall.

Ashley's eyes grew wide in shock.

ASHLEY: You actually bought a weapon?! Are you insane?! Did anyone see you?!

He shook his head.

CLAYTON: No. Besides, it's not a real mace. I figured I used a weapon that I could utilize without experience in. You're good with that Chinese blade and Julie fights like a samurai. I figured you guys might want someone with raw strength in your team.

The two turned to look at each other again and turned back to Clayton.

ASHLEY: Okay. If you're that willing to help us, then you're welcome to come along. Besides, we don't have anyone who focuses on raw strength, so your weakness will do.

And through that, the conversation was animated. Offended, Clayton widened his eyes, his mouth opening wide with his jaw practically hitting the floor and all Julie could do was giggle.

CLAYTON: H-Hey! Don't try to play me, Ash! I'm not that weak!

ASHLEY: *giggle* I know you're not, but be careful. I know I don't act like it, but you are my friend, Clayton. If Ian were to be gone today, I wouldn't desert you.

It wasn't her intention to blurt that out and she felt the need to scratch herself for making comment of it. Julie stopped giggling and turned to observe Ashley, who was probably starting to wish she hadn't said that. Looking at Clayton, she was surprised to find him in shock rather than offense. Whether or not if Ashley could see it, Julie knew that Clayton was glad.

A warm smile plastered on her face.

JULIE: She's right, Clayton.

He turned to her with the surprise not leaving his face.

JULIE: We understand how you feel and we know that Ian will always be your best friend, but we will never desert you if Ian was no longer around us. After all, we asked you to come here with us and help rescue him.

The comment hit home for Clayton. She was right, after all. After the confrontation with his Shadow, they stood by his side with promising eyes to rescue Ian. Julie even brought him with them to Hofu, despite not carrying a Persona or a weapon for defense. They truly cared about him and he knew it. Maybe it wasn't the thought of losing Ian that frightened him so much, but the idea that if Ian was gone, he would be alone.

The astonishment on his face was replaced with a warm smile; a smile that showed the appreciation he felt to them and this energy was recognized by the girls.

CLAYTON: ... Thanks. I-I really needed that.

JULIE: You're welcome, Clayton-kun.

CLAYTON: "Clayton-kun"? What's with that?

JULIE: In Japan, we often address our friends and colleagues with Japanese honorifics. There are various kinds, but "kun" is one of them. It's often addressed to a male companion.

CLAYTON: Really? Wow. Now I'm called "Clayton-kun". What about Ashley?

JULIE: Probably Ashley-san. "San" is a common honorific used to address friends back in Japan, whether by formal or informal contexts.

ASHLEY: "Ashley-san". That might take some adaptation.

The conversation continued until the party remembered why they had come to the mall today.

ASHLEY: Okay. So we still need to save Ian from Hofu by tonight. We already know what enemies we will face, but there may be more inside that castle.

CLAYTON: Yeah. What did Tara call those things? "Blood Bats"?

Ashley nods.

ASHLEY: They're weak to ice-magic, so I should be able to handle them without trouble. But Tara did say that by continuously using our Personas, our energy starts to deplete and we become exhausted. After that fight with Clayton's Shadow, it will be risky to fight tired.

JULIE: Agreed. We should incorporate on fighting with our weapons to spare any exhaustion of using our Persona. The last thing we need when possibly facing Ian's Shadow is to be exhausted.

ASHLEY: But there's also the fact that you're able to switch Personas during battle.

Clayton turned to Julie in recognition of the action done last night.

CLAYTON: Yeah, that's right. I thought you and Ashley were able to do that, but from the way Ash and Tara were acknowledging it, it seems that you're the only one who can do that.

This was true and Julie knew why. She held the power of the Wild Card, which allowed her to switch between Personas at will during battle. For now, she was only able to switch between Senri and Izanami, her main Persona and the only Social Link she activated was the Empress, Ashley's Arcana. However, would telling them be a good idea? For one, when Julie asked Tara about Philemon, the mage didn't recognize the name and Julie was pretty certain that this Wild Card ability and Philemon were likely connected. So if Tara didn't know about Philemon, what good would it do to explain Ashley and Clayton? Plus, she didn't know if it would be a good idea to mention the Velvet Room. Igor and Matthew didn't seem to acknowledge, let alone inform her, about the possible consequences if she were to tell anyone about the Velvet Room, but she didn't count out those possible consequences either. For now, she had to play safe and keep the Velvet Room's existence from being spoken.

JULIE: You are right. However, I fear I only hold the ability to switch between Personas of the Empress Arcana, which is your Arcana, Ashley.

ASHLEY: That's right. You told me about that the night I encountered my Shadow. I think you even said that Clayton's Arcana was the Magician.

A question mark was practically floating above Clayton's head as his direction turned to Julie.

CLAYTON: Well, what is your Arcana, Julie?

JULIE: My secondary Arcana is the Fool, which represents innocence, divine inspiration, madness, freedom, spontaneity, inexperience, chaos, and creativity. My main Arcana, however, is the Justice Arcana. It's the Arcana that symbolizes justice, objectivity, rationality, and analysis.

Clayton bore a visibly surprised expression.

CLAYTON: Wow! How do you know all of this?

Julie shrugged her shoulders.

JULIE: Just intelligent on tarot readings.

ASHLEY: Okay. So the plan for tonight is to go into Hofu and and rescue Ian from the castle. We know where he is located, so we won't have much trouble on searching for him.

JULIE: Correct. But there are Fiends who will notice our presence once we enter, especially since Clayton can summon a Persona. Also, we must excersise on limiting our usage of our Personas until we find Ian. If possible, we may face his Shadow.

ASHLEY: And if that happens, Ian may deny his Shadow and it will spawn out of control like ours did. It's best to ensure that save the remainder of our Persona's energy into fighting Ian's Shadow. God knows we will need it. But this also means that we'll have to start training more.

Clayton looked at her with confusion reading his face.

CLAYTON: Why do we have to train? The Fiends we're fighting are pretty weak

This was something that Julie told him before they met at the mall today. She told him that the Fiends they were fighting didn't seem to be strong enough that they needed their Personas and obviously, Clayton took the term to a different meaning.

ASHLEY: We may be fighting Fiends, but what if we face against Fiends much stronger than the ones we're fighting now. There's no telling what could happen to us if we don't better our skills and defenses.

JULIE: Ashley-san's right. We cannot afford the luxury of carelessness, it's too expensive. Not only that, but we need to focus on formation as well. For now, all of us are front-line fighters, especially if Clayton-kun is using a mace. Tara has been acting as our support, so we'll need to keep her in the back.

ASHLEY: I forgot about formation. It will help us if we ever come to those kinds of problems later. I cannot even begin to imagine the likeliness of a fatal blow from a Fiend.

CLAYTON: Alright, we got that then. So we stick with the plan? Go into Hofu, find Ian, rescue him and leave, right?

JULIE: Right. But as we stated before, it may not be that easy. We need to train a bit before going in there, which will be now.

 **-Afternoon-**

The trio walked into the abandoned building with despondent eyes as they analyzed the current state of the building. They were stepping into an abandoned shed that held nothing but cobwebs and dirt spots on the walls, ceilings and corners, save for a couple of mice that caused Clayton to lose his masculinity quicker than Ashley losing her composure. Julie was the only one who grabbed the mice and placed them outside of the shed, closing the door behind her so they wouldn't return.

JULIE: Well, this shed isn't perfect, but I believe if we tidy it up a bit, it may do.

CLAYTON: If I may ask, how did you find this place? I was born here and I've never seen this shed before.

JULIE: I was doing a little searching around and I came upon this shed. I figured after your confrontation with your Shadow, we should do some training in here. Plus, this is miles from civilization, so I doubt that anyone would want to find us here.

ASHLEY: I suppose you're right. It's not perfect, but it will suffice for the time being. I just hope we don't see any more mice.

JULIE: Agreed. Considering how piercing Clayton-kun's scream was.

In offense, Clayton turned to the Goth with a reaction that mixed with astonishment. He expected for Ashley to make a smart remarks at him for anything he did or said, but never would he believe that Julie would take use of doing so.

CLAYTON: Wha-?! I-I wasn't screaming! That was my… battle cry!

Julie giggled at Clayton's attempt to reclaim his dignity and Ashley couldn't resist taking part in it as well.

ASHLEY: If screaming like a little girl is your battle cry, then you may not want to use a mace. That could be your weapon.

JULIE: The Battle Cry of Pitifulness and Disappointment!

The two joked and laughed, which Clayton didn't take good pleasure from. A vein started to appear at his temple.

CLAYTON: Haha! Very funny! Now if you don't mind, I'll be training now.

Clayton unstrapped the mace from the holster on his leg and began walking to the opposite side of the shed. The mace he was carrying with made with steel and had small spikes that could do grave damage if enough pressure was applied to the target. Given its structure, it amazed Julie to think that he would be able to carry the weapon without trouble and was impressed by how boldly he walked over to the corner… so impressed that she had to toy with him again.

JULIE: Okay. However, I wonder if that snake will be happy with you walking over to its territory.

And like that, Clayton stopped, the color immediately draining from his body. Ashley struggled to withhold her laughter as Julie continued.

JULIE: I mean, it was big and gray and looked poisonous. I think it can even slither up to your pants and do God knows what. Wouldn't you agree, Ashley-san?

Julie turned over to Ashley, who finally gained her composure and faced her friend.

ASHLEY: Oh yes. Normally, if I saw a snake, I wouldn't go to the same place that it's laying, but Clayton seems to be awfully brave and manly.

JULIE: Yes. I'm true he can that venomous bite like a true man should… like now!

Without an alert to signify the next move, Clayton dropped the mace and sprinted towards the door and out the shed, screaming higher than he did when he saw those mice. As he ran off, the girls roared in laughter, falling on the dusty floor with their stomachs tightening and eyes watering. They continued in this until Clayton returned to the shed, seemingly have regained all of his composure. The girls stood up and watched as Clayton picked the mace up from the floor and turned back to face the two. He looked at them without an expression on his face, but simply nodded and resumed to start his training. Ashley patted Julie on the shoulder before unsheathing her Jian and beginning her training.

With a sigh escaping her lips, Julie walked over to them and slowly began to unsheathe her sword from her umbrella.

 **A/N: A few notes before I let you guys loose. This chapter marks the beginning of Julie's personality. If you haven't noticed, Julie may appear Gothic, but she is friendly, bright and quite a jokester. She's kind of like Junpei, just not messy. And yes, Clayton is a coward, but he tries to be brave. That's probably his best aspect. Also, Julie uses Japanese honorifics and will be addressing her friends with these honorifics for now on. Lastly, Julie speaks a Northern England British accent. Review and stay tuned for Act 8.**


	8. Act 8

**Act 8: Ian de Luca**

 **Part 1: A Turn of Events**

 **-Night-**

 **-Amano Residence-**

Certain muscles of her body felt slightly sore, but not enough to constrict her from movement. She figured she could use some rest after a day's workout, but knew that she wouldn't be granted the luxury of doing so. After all, there was a task that was still at hand before she could do anything to ease the tension in her muscles. She just had to pray that it would hinder her in combat.

After a quick warm shower, she slipped into her casual attire. After almost breezing through dinner, which is something that Cathryn didn't tolerate, Julie was certain that she was ready to go rescue their friend. The training she endured with her friends was intense after all. While it doesn't count any experience in the art, Julie was pretty familiar with the style she was using: battojyutsu. She's been familiar with the style since youth, given her performances in the Amagi Inn, where she performed showdowns and dances using the style. Ashley proved to be capable of utilizing the Chinese blade with ease, given her experience in kung fu. As a hand-to-hand combatant, Ashley fought with prowess and grace by mixing the styles of Pigua Quan, Tai Chi Chaun, and Mizongyi. It amazed Julie to see how capable of a fighter Ashley proved herself to be. Clayton, however, was a different story. Since he didn't have a combat background or a usage in weapons, he didn't fare as better as the two girls. However, he seemed capable of using the mace he carried without difficulty, taking note of how his speed remained the same when performing certain bash attacks.

Other than that, she didn't have to worry about the two struggling in battle. As for Tara, Julie knew that the priestess was proficient in magic, but so far, her magical skills only acted for support. She was able to cast barriers, track the enemies and provide combat attire for the trio to use. However, Julie wondered if Tara was capable of performing any other magical feats besides the latter. If possible, then Tara never showed this capability, let alone perform it to their benefit. Still, Julie had to believe that the priestess was only capable for support.

JULIE: Anyway, I better get ready. Midnight is nearing.

She looked up to check the clock on the wall, noticing that the current time was 11:58 pm. This meant that they will be entering into Hofu and Julie was prepared. Dressing out of her pajamas into her casual attire, she pulled out the black umbrella from her closet and prepared herself to perform the incantation. However, as she grabbed the handle of the umbrella, she quickly glanced up by the sight of a blue light that gleamed on the umbrella to see an azure door standing on the wall of her closet.

Releasing the umbrella from her grip, she backed away slightly, her eyes refusing to leave the door before her. Where did this door come from? Why was it in her closet? For whatever reason, the British young woman knew that something mystic lied beyond that door and part of her wished to examine it. It was then that something began to glow in her dresser at her right. Curious, she walked to the dresser and opened it to find a glowing blue key emanating a pure energy from it. Taking the key out, she noticed that its glow brightened into coherence with the door's luminosity, intriguing her curiosity further.

JULIE: Maybe this key has some connection to the door.

That's what she was going to find out as she approached the door and placed the key into the keyhole.

 **-Velvet Room-**

The familiar sound of a train's movement repeated in her ears, it's motion being recognizable within seconds. Julie looked around to see the room around her covered in azure blue, which beared great familarity. To confirm her thoughts, she turned to see the familiar faces of Igor and Matthew sitting across from her with smiles on their faces as they welcomed her back into the Velvet Room.

IGOR: Welcome to the Velvet Room. It seems twists and turns of events are to come your way, young lady. You have managed to save another soul from the realm of Hofu, but I fear this is where the task becomes more difficult than you will realize.

A question mark floated above Julie's head as he said that.

JULIE: What do you mean? What will happen?

Igor turned to Matthew.

IGOR: Matthew. Care to explain?

The male assistant turned to nod at his master and looked back at Julie.

MATTHEW: You've managed to secure a new Social Link with the Magician Arcana.

He proceeded to open the compendium, turning to a page that housed the Magician Arcana. The picture of the Arcana switched to show a video of Clayton during their practice before entering into Hofu.

MATTHEW: By securing this Social Link, you gain assess to fuse Personas of the Magician Arcana and I believe that will come tonight. The foe you face knows of your plot to find him and he's ensuring every possibility that the next person you save will die before you reach him.

This was serious and Julie knew it. She knew she had to listen to Matthew's words if she were to ever gain a grasp on the matter.

MATTHEW: As we know it, your world has undergone a slight alteration, both in time and space. When you return, you will have to fight in order to rescue your friend and this will not be easy.

JULIE: How will it not be easy?

MATTHEW: I'm afraid I cannot tell you. My master and I are only but bystanders to fate. We cannot interfere with the doings of our guests, but I must admit, you intrigue me. The colors you don are dark, but your aura is as bright as the early star. I feel as though that this journey will be an interesting one.

Matthew took a momentary pause before turning to his master. Igor nodded at him, his expression remaining the same as it did when Julie returned to the Velvet Room. Matthew nodded back and turned to Julie.

MATTHEW: But I've taken too much of your time. We shall meet again once you've rescued your friend. The task of doing so will be difficult, as you and your friends will soon learn, but I have no fear, nor worry that you will prevail once more. Till next time.

 **-Amano Residence-**

 **-Black Tetris-**

She found herself back in her room after leaving the Velvet Room, Matthew's words not leaving her head.

JULIE: What was he implying earlier? What will happen to make this harder than usual?

She turned over to the clock and realized that it was 12:00 am: midnight. Julie proceeded to grab her umbrella and after ensuring that the blade was sheathed into the umbrella, she proceeded to call upon her Persona to take her into Hofu.

JULIE: Thou art I... and I am thou... Izanami!

She finished the incantation and waited for the process to begin.

JULIE: ... Hm?

Something wasn't right. The times she spoke this incantation, it never took this long for it to activate. She tried again and waited this time for it to proceed.

JULIE: ... Wh-What?!

Nothing happened.

JULIE: What's going on?! Why can't I summon Izanami? It's midnight.

That's when she knew something else was wrong. When she looked up at the clock, she noticed that the time remained on 12:00 am and this confused her. She knew that a minute had passed already, but the time was stuck on 12. Taking out her phone, she tried to turn it on, but it wouldn't do so. The confusion slowly began to turn to alarm. What was going on?

She heard light taps hitting her windowsill and turned over to see pebbles flying at her window. She rushed over to the window, opening it and peering her head out to see Ashley and Clayton standing underneath her. Just like her, they bore alarmed expressions.

ASHLEY: Julie! Something's not right! It's midnight and we can't call on our Personas!

JULIE: I know! The same is happening with me!

CLAYTON: Well, what's going on?!

No one knew the answer. Julie jumped from the window and made a perfect landing on the grass. She approached her friends, who were carrying their weapons with them in preparation to enter into Hofu.

JULIE: I don't know but this isn't good. If we can't call on our Personas to take us into Hofu, then we're in trouble!

That news didn't scare anyone more than it did Clayton. Ian was trapped in Hofu and was expected to lose his life if the trio didn't reach him in time.

CLAYTON: Not us! Ian's in trouble! If we can't call upon our Personas...

Clayton began to choke on his words. He didn't want to finish the thought in regards of his friend's life and the girls didn't wish to proceed in asking him.

Then suddenly, the trio heard a low growl coming from behind them, sending them into alert. Tightening their rips on their weapons, they slowly turned their backs to where the growl came from. Suddenly, they noticed the sight of glowing red eyes and backed away as the beast emerged from the shadows to reveal itself. This was the same Fiend that Julie, Ashley and Tara encountered when they first entered into Hofu.

CLAYTON: Holy shit! That's a big Fiend!

The Fiend then suddenly lunged towards the trio! In an instance, the trio jumped in difficult directions, away from the beast. The Fiend landed a bit further away from the trio and they collected back, turning tail and running away from the beast. However, the Fiend proceeded to chase after them.

CLAYTON: Ah damn! It's chasing after us! Why aren't we fighting it?!

ASHLEY: We weren't expecting Fiends to appear outside of Hofu and still be active! Before this, the Fiends didn't react with us!

JULIE: Worse, we can't summon our Personas!

This was true. Though they trained, it wasn't enough to prepare for something like this to happen. A Fiend was able to attack them without being in Hofu, the trio couldn't summon their Personas to take them into Hofu and it was likely that they couldn't summon their Personas now. Julie turned back to see that the Fiend was still in pursuit.

Was this what Igor and Matthew meant? She couldn't help but to feel that their sayings related to this contingency. However, what was she supposed to do now? They were completely helpless as she knew now. They may be able to fight the Fiend, but how long would they last against it? The Fiend was bigger and likely stronger than them. They would be lucky to inflict a scratch on the beast. But the worse fact was if they took too long trying to take down this Fiend, they may not be able to reach Ian in time.

Suddenly, a miracle came to happen. As the Fiend chased them down, it was caught in a glowing white glyph and began to ascend to mid-air. Julie stopped when she noticed this and so did Ashley and Clayton once she did. They turned to amazement as the Fiend, the same one that chased them down with the instinct to kill them, was helplessly floating in mid-air.

ASHLEY: Wha-?! How?!

However, Julie was ready to take this opportunity. She rushed over to the Fiend, unsheathing her blade from the umbrella in almost blinding speed and delivered a direct slash on the beast. The process caused the beast's upper body to slowly slide away from its lower body. Eventually, the beast's body was slid into halves and fell to the ground, forming into black dust and withering away.

Julie sheathed her iaito blade back into its scabbard and turned to face Ashley and Clayton, who looked at her with amazement, but to also notice Tara standing behind the two.

JULIE: Tara-san!

The two turned and saw Tara standing behind them. Julie rushed over to them, already having thought that Tara knew more of the situation at hand than the three of them.

TARA: Grandmaster! You're okay! Thank the Creator!

JULIE: Tara-san! What's going on? I thought the Fiends weren't to attack during this time!

ASHLEY: Worse of all, we can't summon our Personas or call onto them to send us into Hofu!

The news seemingly confirmed Tara's suspicions as well. She turned away from the party, deep in thought and turned back to the three.

TARA: I underwent the same difficulty back in Hofu. Usually, I am able to teleport from Hofu to your world. When you three didn't appear, I grew worried and I tried to teleport here. However, I wasn't able.

ASHLEY: Do you know why?

TARA: Sadly, I'm still trying to grasp sense of this contigency. However, 'tis not be all lost.

CLAYTON: What do you mean by that?

Tara turned her back on the party and pointed to the city ahead.

TARA: 'Tis a portal that lies in the city ahead. I arrived here on this portal, so I will help in finding it. But be warned that I didn't reach you all so easily. The area around there 'tis be surrounded by Fiends.

The following reacts were met with surprise.

ASHLEY: Fiends?! How many are there?!

TARA: I'm not sure. But the numbers that surrounds the area 'tis be grand.

She turned back to the party.

TARA: I suggest that we focus on reaching the portal rather than engaging these Fiends in combat. If we allow ourselves to risk time by fighting the Fiends, then Ian will not last long enough when we reach him. His Shadow would have spawned into a monstrous form and kill him by the time we arrived. So we must make haste!

The entire statement was convincing enough. They knew that they couldn't waste anymore time in lounging around. Looking at each other, they all turned to Tara with determined looks on their faces.

ASHLEY: Agreed! But I doubt we will reach the city in time!

TARA: 'Tis not be an issue! I found a mechanism that allowed me to reach here without trouble!

She pointed to a silver car that was surprisingly still operative, despite how the world around them was operating.

CLAYTON: Wait a second! You stole a car?!

She turned to Clayton.

TARA: I understand that stealing is an unforgivable act, but I was desperate to reach you all!

JULIE: Tara-san's right, Clayton-kun! Now's not the time to worry about breaking the law! We have to reach Ian-kun before we're too late!

Taking her words to heart, Clayton changed his state of mind and turned to the car.

CLAYTON: Alright! Well, let's get in!

Julie nodded and turned to Ashley.

JULIE: Ashley-san, you seem to have more driving experience than the rest of us! You'll handle the wheel!

Ashley nods.

ASHLEY: Understood!

JULIE: Everyone, get in!

They all rushed to the car, opened the doors and closed them. Ashley found the key still in the ignition and proceeded to wear her seatbelt. Julie sat beside Ashley while Clayton occupied Tara in the back. Though the girls couldn't see his expression, Clayton wore a resolved face and his grip on the mace tighened. He knew he had to save Ian before it was too late.

 **Part 2: Bloodshed**

Something wasn't right. One moment, he was waiting for cargo at the docks with several of his father's employees and the next, he wakes up inside some strange castle that looked anything but ordinary. He was still dressed in his uniform that Julie saw him wear the last time they met. Was this a dream? It had to be a dream for Ian to feel this nervous and unwelcome to it. He didn't have a weapon on him, so he knew if anything were to attack him, he would be helpless. Unless his kung fu could suffice, he was in trouble.

IAN: Hmm. It's best to not take risks. This may be a dream, but...

Was this truly a dream? Everything around him seemed too life-like for this to be a dream or even a thought. Plus, he was lost.

IAN: I should focus on finding an exit for now.

With that objective set, Ian proceeded to search for an exit, not knowing of the terror that would await for him as he wandered.

* * *

CLAYTON: C'mon, woman! You're not driving fast enough!

The tires screeched with great volume as countless Fiends made way over to the vehicle that the trio were in. Ashley was speeding with all her might to find the portal that Tara traveled through to reach their world, even making sharp turns and flying lunges over hills to reach the portal... and she wasn't taking Clayton's criticism of her driving too lightly.

ASHLEY: Hey! I'm driving as fast as I can! Plus, we got people in the car! We can't fight the Shadow if we're injured!

TARA: The portal shouldn't be too far from here! If Ashley continues to proceed at this pace, we might be able to reach Ian!

JULIE: Then that means we need to pick up speed! Ashley-san, go faster!

ASHLEY: On it!

Putting her entire strength on the gas pedal, she revved the engine and drove past the Fiends, making more sharp turns prompted the passengers to grab hold onto something so they wouldn't fly from the car.

As she continued driving, the sight of Blood Bats came into sight as a horde starting flying towards them. This didn't irritate anyone more than it did Clayton.

CLAYTON: Rrgh! Out of our way!

* * *

There was not an exit to be seen or a sign to give hint to where he could find one. He was truly lost and he began to believe that by going further than he was going, he may never leave this castle.

IAN: This isn't good. How am I supposed to get out of here now?

As he continued walking, however, he began to hear voices, familiar yet obscure voices ringing around the castle.

IAN: Huh?

* * *

TARA: We're nearing the portal now! I can sense its aura from here!

JULIE: Excellent!

The city was as wide during this mysterious time than the world at its regular shape and form. However, there were still the Blood Bats that chased the party all the way down the hill as they searched for the portal. Clayton looked back to see the bats staying in full pursuit and grunted in agitation.

CLAYTON: These damn bats don't know when to give up! How do we lose them?!

TARA: We just need to reach the portal! Ashley, turn left from here!

As commanded, Ashley made a sharp turn at her left to another street, almost with the certainty of scratching some material of the tire given the creasing screech. But now wasn't the time to care about anything. The main objective for now was to rescue Ian and bring him back from Hofu in one piece and Clayton would see to it that his friend would return alive and well.

Eventually, the party caught sight of a shining purple light that didn't stray too far from where they were. At notice to the light, Tara's eyes gleamed with hope.

TARA: There it is! 'Tis be the portal from where I came from!

JULIE: Thank God!

ASHLEY: Alright! I'm going to speed up! Grab something while you can!

* * *

The voices were getting louder as Ian continued to move toward the path that guided him. He figured this would lead him out of the castle, but grew cautious of the potency this path played to him. Where exactly would it lead him to? What was he to expect by following this path? He couldn't shake the hopes that this castle was a dream, but something kept ringing into his conscience that this unnatural plane of existence was not a mere dream.

He couldn't shake this as he followed the path, but hoped that maybe the path before him would take him to somewhere pleasant. Maybe he would wake up from this castle in Spain and return home to be in his bedroom with his father being the reason for awaking him. Or he might wake up and find himself being glared at the teacher for sleeping class, of course this wouldn't be the first as the errands from his father have kept him up for most of the night. Given who his father was, sleep and rest wasn't a luxury he couldn't afford. He had to be up and alert for anything that would come his way. However...

IAN: I guess it wouldn't hurt to ask Father for a day off or some rest every once in a while.

But would he be granted with such luxuries? As considerate as his father may be, Ian knew the man enough to know how his priorities work and figured that asking for rest wouldn't fit his priorities. Besides, there may come a day where...

Suddenly, Ian's blood ran cold as a thought proceeded into his mind and quickly shook it away. So lost in thought he was that he didn't pay attention to the figure standing in the dark with glowing yellow eyes that pierced a glare directly at him, which he was unaware of. The figure waited for Ian to draw closer when suddenly, a loud sound boomed into the air, far away from where Ian was. Ian noticed the sound and turned his back to the hall, trying to catch where the sound came from.

IAN: What was that?

It may have been a rhetorical question, but there was a number of possibilities as to what that sound was. He turned forward to see the path clear ahead of him. Shrugging, he continued to follow the path, unaware that the eyes that were watching him fled when the sound pierced its ears.

* * *

The car took many spins before it finally crashed against the wall at its right; the glass shattering by the impact that flew across the car. Everyone shielded themselves from the glass to ensure they wouldn't be pierced or worse if the glass happened to connect to them. Everyone groaned in pain for a while, but nothing serious happened to them.

ASHLEY: Is everyone okay?

JULIE: Yes. I'm fine.

CLAYTON: Same here.

TARA: I am unharmed.

ASHLEY: Good.

Ashley proceeded to open the door with Julie following behind her, given the crash damaging her door. Tara followed suit and opened the door to get out of the car with Clayton following behind her. They each grabbed their weapons and had already changed into their combat attire. Clayton's new combat attire consisted of a brown poncho with a white battlesuit underneath with the sleeves cut. The suit had the legs cut to the knee with ankle-length brown combat boots and long brown metallic armbands that extended from the wrist to the elbow. While the girls wanted to compliment on Clayton's attire, they knew they weren't able to pay the compliment given what was going on, especially when they caught sight of a familiar presence before them.

The figure stood with its back turned to them, dressed in a black business suit with a black fedora that had a red feather tucked into the band, hands placed firmly in their pockets with smoke coming from in front of them. Clayton eventually paid notice to the girls expressions and turned around to see the figure himself.

CLAYTON: Ian?

While he wanted to express relief at the possibility of his friend being alive, he knew at the same instance that it would be too good to be true. At recognition of the name, the figure turned around and revealed itself to the party. It was Ian, but it was his Shadow.

The curiosity on Clayton's face was replaced with anger as he gripped his mace while the Shadow teased him with a smile on his face. The Shadow appeared to be calm and collective, but didn't fail to let the party notice its maleficient aura. It took the cigar out of its mouth, threw it to the ground and stepped on it with its black shoes, eyes failing to look away from the group.

SHADOW IAN: Hmmm... Now this is interesting. Four recruits with odd attire and coming to see me? I'm honored. What brings you all here?

The taunting question didn't pass Clayton any pleasure. He knew the Shadow was mocking him and he could feel it as if the Shadow was practically stabbing him with it.

CLAYTON: Where's Ian? What did you do with him?

Julie turned to Tara.

JULIE: Tara-san. This Shadow is acting similar to the other Shadows we've faced so far. Does this mean Ian is still alive?

Tara nods.

TARA: 'Tis true. It seems likely that Ian has yet to confront his Shadow, so we made it in the knick of time. However, we must find Ian before the Shadows does.

As Tara finished her statement, the Shadow laughed with its demonic voice being settle in tone and volume. Once it stopped, it faced the party again.

SHADOW IAN: Wow! So I'm not the first one you guys have seen, have I? Well, how about I keep this one brief? There's an operation that Father wants me to do and if I'm to ever take over the gang, I need to do what he says. Besides, given certain threats made by the Falcone's, this event may get bloody.

The last statement brought chills to everyone, but it only infuriated Clayton even further.

CLAYTON: If you do anything to hurt Ian, I swear to God I will kill you!

SHADOW IAN: Really? Well, first, you have to catch me.

The Shadow then proceeded to walk off and Clayton prepared to chase after it until another horde of Blood Bats began circling around the group, giving the Shadow enough time to make its escape.

Infuriated, Clayton proceeded to summon his Persona. Bringing his hand to his head, Clayton's hand began to emit a brown light as he channeled his power; he proceeded to form a fist and pounded the ground, bringing his mace into the air with his other hand. A brown glyph formed underneath him that followed with a rushing wind.

CLAYTON: Let's do this, Harpocrates!

The Persona, Harpocrates, was summoned and stood in a stance ready for battle as Blood Bats flew towards them. Clayton pointed directly at the bats.

CLAYTON: Matera!

Harpocrates flew towards the Blood Bats, pacing its rock hammer for the attack. As it reached closer, the Persona began to swing its hammer, causing multiples rocks to form and fly at the bats, hitting each of them as they dissolve into ash. More came their way and Clayton rushed ahead his Persona. A bat began to draw towards him and Clayton delivered the bat a powerful swing with his mace, crushing the bat with ease.

As two more flew towards him, Julie rushed in, quickly unsheathing her blade to deliver a slash across the bats and performed a flurry of slashes on the other bats that flew at her. Ashley ran forward and proceeded to attack the bats using her Jian. After the threat was cleared, Harpocrates vanished from sight and the party proceeded to rush ahead to the Shadow.

ASHLEY: Tara! Do you know where that Shadow went?

TARA: Let me track it!

Tara concentrated on her powers and sought to look for the Shadow. Eventually, she found the Shadow's specific location and informed the crew on its whereabouts.

TARA: We need to only continue a straight path and move up a flight of stairs. There, we will come in contact with a door that houses the Shadow, but I believe Ian would be there before we would.

JULIE: Do you think the Shadow arranged those Blood Bats to slow us down?

TARA: Likely, yes. It knows you're all Persona-users, so it's trying to stop us from reaching Ian. However, what I'm most curious about are the Blood Bats.

JULIE: What about the Blood Bats?

TARA: Well, Fiends are created from the fears of the heart, but it seems like those bats were created from Ian specifically.

CLAYTON: Sounds likely. Ian admitted to being afraid of bats when we were little and he still is today. If anyone asked him, he would tell them.

ASHLEY: But the Shadow we saw was created from a fear that Ian doesn't want to admit that exists. So if he's willing to admit his fear of bats, then what exactly is he afraid of?

* * *

The path led him to a giant door that held a sickly, dark red color that made Ian nauseous the moment he laid eyes upon it. Somehow, just the sight of the color made him feel very uneasy, only managing to open the door by pushing it with the strength of his index finger. As he opened the door, his eyes laid upon a magnificent room that bore the resemblance to a castle's front room, usually where balls and other festivities were told to be held.

He brushed back some of his black hair, under the thought of something crawling through his hair.

IAN: What is this...?

Despite the majesty of the room, it's very presence made Ian feel gravely unwelcome. To add to his uneasiness, he began to hear voices murmur all around him, which suddenly caused him to walk further into the room. He couldn't identify the words, but recognized the sounds of the voices.

IAN: Wait. ... Is that... police chatter?

* * *

TARA: Dnepsus eht stab!

A green glyph formed underneath a horde of Blood Bats and caused them to freeze in mid-air. Ashley used the opportunity to summon Orithiyia.

ASHLEY: Mabufu!

The Persona summoned a white glyph that shot out mutiple shards of ice that killed the bats without much effort. Meanwhile, Clayton was rushing ahead of the party, using his mace to bash any of the bats that came his way with Julie right behind him. After Tara and Ashley finished dealing with their bout, they followed pursuit up the stairs, making way to a large red door at the top.

CLAYTON: He must be in there!

JULIE: Probably!

Then suddenly, more hordes came forth, but larger than before. This horde almost covered the entire castle, which was more than the group could ever face... and more than Clayton could tolerate. With a shout of aggravation being made clear, he swung his mace and stared at the bats.

CLAYTON: Are you kidding me?!

* * *

FEMALE STUDENT #1: Have you heard that Ian's father is a gangster?!

FEMALE STUDENT #2: What?! Really?

Two more voices were heard, although these were clearer than the other. Ian turned around in various areas to catch sight of where the voices were coming from. Were they all in his head?

IAN: Where are they...?

Before he could finish, other voices came into hearing.

MALE STUDENT #1: I don't know about this. You know who his father is, right?

MALE STUDENT #2: Yeah. But you got to admit, it has to be a living; being the son of a gangster!

MALE STUDENT #1: Hmm... I guess you're right. Besides, Ian is pretty nice. I guess that living the life of a gangster's son makes you into a pretty decent young man.

Did he hear that right? Were they actually commending Ian's lifestyle? What was there to like about being the son of a gangster? There were responsibilities, consequences and many other things that Ian could list from the top of his head if he was not as gobsmacked as he felt now. Then suddenly, another voice came and it brought Ian to shudder... because he recognized this voice.

MARIA: Joseph! They're coming!

It was his mother. Suddenly, an image played into his mind.

 **-Flashback-**

Ian always had sensitive hearing. If a thunderstorm were to pass, the first sound of thunder, let it be quaint or tremendous, it would wake the boy from his slumber. This explained why he woke up from the sound of the door slamming from the main room of the mansion and was alerted by the unsettling tone of his parents' voices.

MARIA: Joseph! They're coming!

Maria Beatrice de Luca was the wife of Joseph Ricardo de Luca and was Ian's mother. She was a loving woman, though was known for wearing fancy jewelry and stylish coats everyday. She had beautiful, long dark hair, tan skin and spoke with a silk Italian accent, which complimented Joseph's heavy Italian accent. Ian always found it odd that his parents wore accents while as he never had one; Joseph could agree.

Still, the frightened tone in Maria's voice made the boy worry about his mother. He loved her dearly and couldn't shake the thought that something must have happened to make her so worried. Although Maria never permitted it, Ian removed the sheets and step off of his bed, making his way out of his room and down the hall. That was when he heard another sound that was outside of their house. It sounded like... the approach of a car. He stopped momentarily to hear the doors open and close, along with several footsteps.

JOSEPH: Shit! They're coming!

Uneasiness began to claim Ian. What was going on?

JOSEPH: Maria! Get Ian and hide in his room! Be sure to lock the door behind you!

MARIA: But what about you?!

JOSEPH: I'll go get my gun! Damn pistol I have is out of bullets! Besides, fists won't deal with Whiskey!

Whiskey. The very name of that man was enough to devoid all color on Ian's face. He was a tall and broad with muscles of a giant and held a menacing expression on his face that Ian often compared to the devil. He held shoulder-length black hair that was often worn down, a black business suit with a revolver at the waistband for action. He remembered the man glaring at the young boy, giving him such a deadly gaze that he couldn't shake away.

Ian began to back away as he heard footsteps approaching. Eventually, he was welcomed by the presence of his mother, who appeared to be frantic and frightened almost beyond reason. Her hair, which was usually seen kept and permed, was a disheveled cluster with some locks falling in front of hair. She wore her white mink coat along with a skin-tight black dress with fishnet stockings and black heels. Her jewelry consisted of big, gold hoop earrings, several diamond rings on her fingers, never below five karats, with either silver or gold plating and a luxurious pearl necklace.

She stared down at her son in shock. Normally, she would reprimand him for getting out of bed, but tonight seemed to be a grave exception. She grabbed her son by the hand and rushed him into his bedroom, closing the door and locking it behind them.

MARIA: Okay, Ian, listen. Daddy's here, but he has to go get something because...

Maria was worried about finishing the sentence. She stared down at his innocent and frightened face, turning back to the door after hearing a loud shatter from below. Whiskey was inside the house!

Backing away from the door, she grabbed Ian and brought them both into the closet, closing it and locking it. Given Joseph's lifestyle, the necessity for locks was a strong recommendation. Maria pushed Ian behind her legs to shield her still young son, her breath getting heavier and heavier with each anticipating second.

MARIA: Don't worry. Mommy's here now, Ian. As long as we stay silent, Whiskey shouldn't find us.

However, the heavy sound of footsteps caused the tension to thicken greatly. Ian recognized that the footsteps did not belong to his father and gripped his mother closer, tightening his grip on her coat. It was soft, secure and safe. He always valued the way his mother dressed and loved the mink coat that she would wear, being drawn to its pristine white color.

MARIA: ...

IAN: ...

Suddenly, the door was knocked down, alarming the two in the closet, especially when they heard Whiskey enter inside of Ian's room. That was when the thug's figure had been seen. Maria's eyes widened in fear and Ian's heartbeat grew faster... especially as Whiskey's figure approached the closet.

The mother and son backed to the wall as the man tore the doors off, catching sight of the two. Maria bent down to wrap her son in her arms, to assure him that she wouldn't allow anything to happen to him while she was standing there.

MARIA: Whiskey... please...

WHISKEY: Now, now, Maria... you knew what you were getting yourself into. You and your son should've left this lifestyle while there was even still a chance.

MARIA: But why, Whiskey? What have we ever done to you?

WHISKEY: Your husband's gang is pretty notorious and I sure can use its benefits. However, he's in the way of what I wish to recreate...

The brooding man reached into his pants, pulling out the revolver from his waistband. With a single click of rotation, he aimed the gun directly at Maria, causing the woman to tighten her son in their hug, eyes shut with warm tears falling from her eyes.

WHISKEY: And so are you.

A sharp sound, followed by an ephemeral flash was all that Ian saw to know that his fears were already beginning. Maria's grip loosened on Ian's tender flesh, her posture began to slant downwards and all pulses that Ian felt through her wrists began to decrease in speed until they finally came to a halt. Eventually, she hit the floor with her face down and back showing. The white mink coat that Ian grew to adore his mother for wearing began to stain with red, which spreaded quickly. The boy paused in fear. His breath fell heavy; his lungs building unusual tension that felt strong enough to implode. His blood ran like a cold river and all the color that embellished his face suddenly began to become depriven.

He looked at his pajamas and noticed that small stains of blood had squirted on him when Whiskey took a shot at his mother. Ian knelt beside her, gently shaking her shoulder to wake her, under hopes that she wasn't dead.

IAN: Mother? Mother!

When she wouldn't wake, his shaking grew from gentle to franctic. Her body simply moved as he shook her, refusing to awaken. Once he realized that his mother was no longer among the living, he stopped shaking her and grew frightened. His mother was dead.

IAN: Mother!

Tears fell from his face as he stared at the bloodstain on his mother's back, watching as its color drained the gloss of the coat within seconds. Eventually, Joseph entered and took a shot at Whiskey before the man could proceed with shooting Ian. Once he laid eyes upon his wife's corpse, the gangster fell to his knees and grabbed her body, holding it tightly with tears falling from his eyes, which Ian was witnessing for the first time.

JOSEPH: No! Maria! WHY?! WHY?!

Ian was only five years old when he witnessed his mother's murder by gunpoint... to witness the bloodshed... to have felt her blood stain him... to witness the murder of the man that killed her...

 **-End of Flashback-**

Once the voice ended with the gunshot, Ian was drawn to the sight of a thick figure laying on the floor and approached it with caution. As he reached the coat, it realized that it was his mother's old mink coat and worse, it still had blood to stain it. The bloodstain was fresh, almost as if his mother's murder occurred recently and the sight of the coat brought fear into Ian's heart.

IAN: *shudders* ... That's... mother's... mink coat...

He shuddered and backed away very slowly. What was going on? Why was his mother's coat in the castle? Why did it still have that bloodstain? Suddenly, a voice was heard and Ian turned to where he heard it.

IAN'S VOICE: I suppose you remember what happened... suppose we remember. That used to be her favorite coat to wear and ours to watch.

When Ian turned to find the person, he was shocked to see that the person before him was... himself! The Shadow before him stood at a distance, its demonic tone of voice bringing unpleasant sensations through the course of his body.

The door behind him swung open and he turned his back to see his friends, Clayton, Julie, Ashley, and some girl who he never met enter into the room, all wearing shocked faces.

CLAYTON: Ian!

IAN: Clayton!

The Shadow began to chuckle, causing Ian to revert his attention to it.

SHADOW IAN: Well, your friends made it, but I wonder if you can save them. After all, you couldn't save your mother when she was killed, could you? And Father expects for you to take over the mafia one day? Ha!

IAN: Wh-Who are you?! Why do you wear my face?!

SHADOW IAN: *chuckles* I am a Shadow... of your worst nightmares... I am you and you are me. I'm nearing to take over my father's mafia one day and show him my potential.

IAN: How are we alike?!

The Shadow chuckled once more and began to approach Ian, causing the party to ready their weapons.

SHADOW IAN: We're called to a destiny that wasn't chosen for us. Don't you remember what Father always said? "I won't be around all the time to keep this business running. You'll have to take over." But is this what you really want? Everybody else wishes to live as big as you, but what do they know about being the child of a gangster?

IAN: ...

The Shadow's expression darkened suddenly.

SHADOW IAN: Apparently, I have a theatric lifestyle. Everything that is shown in The Godfather and Scarface. Everyone believes that those types of lives are worth living, but what do they know about it all? What did they witness to believe that this is a life worth living? My father has taught me everything about being a gangster, mostly a leader of a mafia, and what to expect: traitors, police, rivals...

Suddenly, the Shadow looked to the ground, taking a momentary pause before bringing itself back up. Once it did, Ian's face was devoid of all color and the party stood in horror by what they were seeing. Blood began to leak from the Shadow's head, specifically from the scalp as it fell from his hair and formed a river down the left side of his face, somehow managing to leave its eye untouched and stopped at the chin. Ian's breath grew heavy and he backed away as the Shadow moved closer with a dark expression.

SHADOW IAN: Blood.

Ian found himself trembling uncontrollably; his pupils almost constricting in fear.

IAN: ... St-Stay away.

SHADOW IAN: I was only five when my mother's blood stained her coat... when her blood stained me.

IAN: ... St-Stop.

SHADOW IAN: Why does father want me to take over the mafia? Why am I expected to carry over the bloodshed he causes?! Why was there so much blood on her?! Why was it on me? Do I really need to see more blood than I can handle? How many more lives will be acclaimed by blood? What does he make me to be, some blood prince?!

IAN: Stop it. Stop!

SHADOW IAN: I can't stand the sight of blood. It decides your fate if you lose too much and sometimes, it's non-replacable. If only I didn't get out of bed, mother would've had enough time to ensure that we would be protected by that blasted monster! But no! My curious ass just had to kill the cat! It's my fault my mother died!

IAN: No! That's not true! It wasn't my fault!

SHADOW IAN: If I had just listened and stayed in bed, she would be alive! But I had to see the bloodshed that caused my mother's life to waste away! I was sprayed with it as well! Her blood... on me... The blood of all the people I fought in tournaments... I watched as I gave them a bloody nose or a bruised lip and watching them bleed... Just bleed by my hand!

The bleeding worsened as the Shadow's fears began to grow... to show Ian's worse fear: blood.

Clayton grew worried by how the situation progressed. Julie knew that Ian would deny his Shadow eventually and prepared herself for the worst to happen.

Blood began to drench the Shadow's clothes, leaking from its sleeves, much to Ian's horror. Then suddenly, the Shadow rushed over and embraced Ian, much to his terror. The feel of fresh blood... its thickness coating his clothes... it was just like the blood he felt from his mother...

IAN: G-Get off of me! Get off!

SHADOW IAN: This is my fear, what I am afraid of and how I feel.

Ian struggled, but he managed to push the Shadow off of him, its blood coating his clothes. Ian looked down at his clothes to see how much blood was stained on him and almost panicked. He looked back at the Shadow, defiance and denial reading clear on him.

IAN: N-No! None of what you say is true! I wasn't the cause of my mother's bloodshed!

This caused the Shadow to laugh, forcing it to place a palm on its forehead, splattering small portions of blood on the floor. It looked up at him with a calm expression and a malevolent smile.

SHADOW IAN: Why are you denying me? To this day, you cannot stand the sight of blood because it reminds you of your mother. You were the cause of her death and your punishment was her bloodshed. Face it, you're afraid of blood. Do you understand it now... me?

Ian backed away, denying all that the Shadow was saying, much to Clayton's alarm.

IAN: N-No! No!

CLAYTON: Ian! Wait!

ASHLEY: Don't say it!

However, the die had been cast.

IAN: You are not me!

* * *

The Shadow's laugh grew maniacal and it stepped back from the party, arms stretched as if it was claiming for godhood. The party was prepared for what the Shadow was going to do next.

SHADOW IAN: Hahahaha! Oh! That breaks my heart! But it feels so right! Mmhmm... Hahahahahahahahaha... AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Cloisters of black gas surrounded the Shadow after the final laugh, covering its body, leaving not an inch of its image to be seen for one last moment. As the gas clustered, it expanded in width and height, growing almost momuentously, into a monstrous form. After the expansion was complete, the gas was blown off of the Shadow, revealing its deranged and monstrous form.

The Shadow carried a Count Dracula-like appearance with a blood-red cape and wings of a bat attached to its back. The Shadow covered its face with a hood, save for a smile that lingered under the shadowed-out face. Its skin had grown deadly pale with bright, red streaks of blood flowing through its arms like rivers, replacing the veins. It was bare foot with tattered feet and sharp, black nails that could slice through the sturdiest of steel if prompted. Its clothes consisted of a single skin-tight bodysuit with golden buckles around the stomach, waists, thighs, ankles, chest, forearms and wrists. Ian backed away from the Shadow in such a slow manner.

SHADOW IAN: I am a Shadow... of your worst nightmare... So I guess this fight will get ugly, hmm? Oh well. More bloodshed, the better!

Quickly, the Shadow grabbed some of its own blood and through it own the floor, right in front of Ian's feet. Before the frightened young man could react, hands suddenly reached for him and grabbed him, pulling him into the puddle.

CLAYTON: Ian!

The puddle swam over to the Shadow. Using some of its magic, the Shadow erected the puddle from its liquified state into a solidified matter, constructing it into a pillar. At the top lied Ian, who was unable to free himself from the pillar.

JULIE: The Shadow is holding him captive! We have to rescue him!

CLAYTON: Right!

The Shadow laughed by their fruitless words and stared down at them.

SHADOW IAN: Hahahaha. How delightful. Going to rescue this loser? You're welcome to try if you want to. Just keep your blood to yourself!

Clayton proceeded to summon his Persona. Once Harpocrates was summoned, Clayton gave the Persona its command.

CLAYTON: Terra! Now!

Harpocrates formed a rock of large size from its hammer and threw it at the Shadow. The Shadow simply deflected the attack, crushing the rock into pebbles. Julie went on to summon Izanami and rushed forward to prepare for the attack.

JULIE: Garu!

Izanami summoned a small cyclone of wind that did little damage to the Shadow, which in turn caused it to laugh.

SHADOW IAN: Hahahaha! This must be a joke! If it is then I have one for ya!

The Shadow proceeded to stretch its arms outwards, aiming directly at the party. Once it did, it shot out gushes of blood from its hands, which in turn transfigured into red lightning bolts that went to the party. Everybody managed to dodge the lightning bolts with ease, but one slip-up from Julie and the shock of it proved to be painfully intense.

JULIE: AAAAHHH!

ASHLEY: Julie!

TARA: Grandmaster, are you alright?!

Once the electrocution was complete, Julie was flunged towards the ground. Her grip remained on her weapon, but she felt too weak to even move a muscle.

IZANAMI: _~Just as I feared. This Shadow excels at lightning and electrical-based skills, one of which I am weak to.~_

JULIE: _~You mean what "we're" weak to?~_

IZANAMI: _~Precisely. Though normal attacks only affect me, whatever my weakness lies, it will affect you also, even if you haven't been struck. We must be careful.~_

JULIE: _~Right. Thanks for the warning, Izanami.~_

Seeing that she held a weakness, Julie knew she couldn't be careless. Looking up, she saw the worried look on Ian's face after she was struck by the lightning spell. He was actually worried about her. She nodded it off and weakly rose from the ground. Ashley proceeded to summon Orithiyia for the attack.

ASHLEY: Mabufu!

The Persona formed a white glyph that shot multiple ice shards at the Shadow, which it deflected. Ashley gritted her teeth in aggravation by the failed attempt and sought to a new solution.

ASHLEY: Frost Link!

The Persona brought its sword across its shoulders and swung it down to shoot a sword-shaped ice structure directly at the Shadow, which connected and did moderate damage.

TARA: It's weak to ice!

ASHLEY: Well, this may be easy!

SHADOW IAN: Hahaha! Don't be so sure, you little bitch!

The Shadow proceeded to summon a white wall in front of it, which disappeared as quickly as it was formed.

ASHLEY: Oh for the love of... Ice attacks won't work now!

CLAYTON: What?! But how?!

ASHLEY: Because your Shadow did the exact thing when we fought it! The only physical moves Orithiyia knows are Frost Link and Tempest Slash! What does Harpocrates know that doesn't involve magic?!

CLAYTON: Umm... I don't... Wait! Wild Hammer, Fist of Fury and... Swift Strike!

ASHLEY: Alright! Julie!

When Julie finallly got on her feet, she turned to Ashley with a not-so hopeful look on her face.

JULIE: Izanami doesn't know any physical skills! It can only use magic, light and wind!

ASHLEY: But what about Senri?

JULIE: Same! Magic and fire!

CLAYTON: Crap! There has got to be another Persona you can use!

Before she could protest, Julie began to remember the words Matthew gave her when she was last in the Velvet Room. Once she remembered this, the sight of the Magician Arcana came into her mind and a new Persona was awakened.

Turning to the Shadow, Julie prepared herself and summoned a new Persona.

JULIE: Jack Frost!

Izanami was replaced by an adorable little Snowman demon that wore a blue cap, had big black eyes and pointy teeth, which in turn made its appearance cartoonish. Ashley arch a brow when she saw the Persona, with Clayton following suit.

CLAYTON: That's one of your Personas? Which Arcana did that come from?

JULIE: Well, I only have access to the Empress and Magician Arcana, which would be you two. I have Senri, which is the Empress and Jack Frost is the Magician, which is your Arcana, Clayton.

When she finished, Clayton wasn't certain to be embarrassed or humilated and didn't think now was the time to care about it. He needed to save his friend. The Shadow laughed when it saw Jack Frost.

SHADOW IAN: Hahaha! What the hell is this?! Is this some kind of joke?!

Julie rushed over to the Shadow and could hear another voice in her mind.

JACK FROST: _~Hee ho, Julie! I am Jack Frost! I am currently in your mind!~_

JULIE: _~What? This has never happened before, not even with Senri. Is Izanami still there?~_

JACK FROST: _~She's fine, hee ho! Now that Shadow has used Ice Wall, so naturally, none of my ice skills would do much damage, but what would you say if I was able break down the wall?~_

JULIE: _~Wait! You can do that?!~_

JACK FROST: _~Of course! It's a rare skill and not many Personas are capable of it... but I'm the minority, ho! And no, I didn't call you a "ho".~_

JULIE: _~Thanks.~_

JACK FROST: _~Anyway, it's called Demolish. It's useful in breaking down any move that makes the opponent resistant to an elemental attack. Since this Shadow is weak to ice and built a wall to keep the ice from touching it, I can break down the wall and allow the ice to touch him! Now use it and you and your beautiful friend will be able to strike at it with whatever ice skill your little hearts desire, but don't go crazy because that will exhaust you and your Wild Card ability can only allow you to summon magical-oriented Personas! Also, since Izanami is temporarily absent, you won't be affected by electrical spells!~_

JULIE: _~Good! At least now we have a fighting chance! Thank you, Jack Frost!~_

JACK FROST: _~You're welcome! Now, onward, ho!~_

Doing as Jack Frost commanded, Julie pointed at the Shadow and gave the Persona its order.

JULIE: Demolish!

The Persona flew straight towards the Shadow in the manner of a superhero with one hand forming a fist and stretching to the Shadow as it approached. As it drew closer, its fist began to emit a white ball with each anticipating approaching until it finally reached the Shadow and delivered it a devastating punch. While the punch was expected to deal damage to the Shadow, it instead destroyed White Wall, though it staggered the Shadow a bit.

SHADOW IAN: Ah! What the hell?!

Taking the opportunity at hand, Julie proceeded to give Jack Frost its next command.

JULIE: Bufula!

Jack Frost landed on the ground and proceeded to initate its spell. Playfully slamming its hand on the ground, it caused a geyser of ice to shoot from the floor, beneath it. Once the connection was made, the Shadow shrieked in pain as unusually large ice shards slashed and pierced its body, showing that the damage was critical.

Julie turned back to the others to witness the shock on their faces.

ASHLEY: How did you-?! But the Shadow used White Wall!

JULIE: Jack Frost knows Demolish! I'll explain the move later, for now, we need to rescue Ian! We should have an advantage now that it's White Wall has been destroyed!

ASHLEY: Roger!

CLAYTON: Alright! Let me take it!

Clayton rushed ahead towards the Shadow, much to Ashley's chagrin. Summoning Harpocrates, Clayton give the Persona a new command.

CLAYTON: Quick! Use Swift Strike!

Harpocrates then flew over to the Shadow. Once it reached a good closure of space, Harpocrates used its hammer to deliver swift and almost unseeable strikes at the Shadow, in which the final strike caused it to fall back. Harpocrates returned to Clayton and Ashley rushed over to him and Julie, facing the downed Shadow.

CLAYTON: We've managed to knock it on its ass! How about an All-Out Attack?!

Turning to Julie with Ashley following suit, the two waited for her response. She turned back at them after observing the Shadow and gave a small nod with a smile on her face. The three continued to face the Shadow, excitement growing on them as they readied their weapons.

CLAYTON: Hell yeah! ... Get ready for this!

The three rushed over to the Shadow and a dust cloud was formed as striking sounds were made on the Shadow. Of course, given the Shadow's size, trying to overthrow it with attacks of their own proved to be slightly difficult because Clayton and Ashley were pushed back a few times before resuming with the attack. After a while, they finished the attack and the Shadow managed to get back up, albeit weakly.

It glared at the trio and began bleeding more profusely than ever.

SHADOW IAN: Look at what you've done! All this blood, leaking from me! I'll make you pay for it!

The Shadow proceeded to shoot out gushes of blood that formed into dark gray clouds. Confused, the trio began to brace themselves after the first strike of lightning that proceeded to form a thunderstorm, with some lightning spells supplemented from the Shadow. Ian watched in horror as his friends dodged and evaded such lightning strike and attack set on them, with his concern forwarding to Julie. After witnessing what one strike of lightning did to her, he had to hope that another wouldn't be as damaging. However, he was worried about Clayton. While admirable that his friend came all this way to rescue him, he was worried about his safety. What if him and the others died trying to save him? They've fended against the Shadow well, but it was starting to turn the tides of the battle.

Tara rushed in to the trio and brought out some beads that she wrapped around her right wrist. She approached by Julie's side as she shielded herself from the lightning with her umbrella and reached her hand to the sky.

TARA: Releasing all limits!

Suddenly, her body began to emit a green glow as the pearl beads in her hands shined in a bright light that nearly blinded Julie. After the glow dimmed, Tara moved away from her grandmaster and proceeded to go on with the attack. As a bolt of lightning approached her, she spun around and stopped in a pose to cast a green glyph that allowed the bolt to be swallowed into it, much to Julie's amazement. After that feat was performed, Tara broke the beaded necklace, allowing the pearl beads to fall on the floor. She knelt to the ground, firmly placing her hands on the floor as she concentrated. Once she was fully concentrated, she began to speak in a language that neither of the party was familiar with but took into thought that the language was her own.

TARA: Hali mina, navarro la reissan! Tier 1: Unleash!

She quickly brought her arms in mid-air, which caused the beads to be lifted from the ground by her magical energy. Clapping her hands together, the priestess forcibly separated them, causing the beads to be pushed away by force. The trio ducked as the beads flew at them. The beads stopped suddenly and began to glow, growing bigger in size by her will. Tara formed her hands into fists, rose from the ground with the storm raging in fury, eyes closed as a wind brushed past her, causing her hood to fall from her head, allowing her trapped hair to fall free in the blow. Her was donned in the manner that the locks that stuck out of her hood were individually tied with pearl beads, while the rest were kept with a bead that was tied at the lower section of her hair.

The Shadow backed away in fear.

SHADOW IAN: What the hell?! What's this power?!

If only they knew how to describe what they were seeing. With her power in full focus, Tara snapped her eyes open and brought her hands to a sharp descent. This caused the beads to shoot out massive surges of power that dispelled the storm, causing the lightning bolts to fade in luminosity and strength. The clouds began to dissipate as the surrge fell through and began to weaken the Shadow. It also cracked the pillar that bounded Ian to crack and eventually crumble into pieces, causing him to fall and make a somewhat painful landing on the ground. Though the fall seemed to have done some damage, Ian gathered enough strength to get up from the ground with one hand pushing him from the ground and the other wrapped at his hip, which took the landing.

Clayton rushed over to Ian and grabbed him, which enraged the Shadow even further.

SHADOW IAN: Why?! Why did you all come?! Why did you all come to die?!

Everyone turned to the Shadow and listened as it ranted on and on.

SHADOW IAN: What will take you all to understand me?! I've seen enough blood to know what will happen to you all!

The shouts and cries of the Shadow forced Ian to back away, his denial showing clearly on his face. Clayton noticed this and grabbed his wrist, causing Ian to turn to him. When he did, Ian felt perplexed by the smile on his face.

IAN: Clayton...

Ian failed to finish the sentence, giving Clayton the moment he needed to speak to his friend.

CLAYTON: Ian. You are my best friend and I've always seen you as a dear friend of mines, which is why I must tell you this.

IAN: Tell me what?

The Shadow stopped its rants and turned to glance at the duo.

CLAYTON: I was jealous of you.

IAN: Clayton...

CLAYTON: No. Not just in your lifestyle, but your entire being. You make straight As in school, have a wide collection of fangirls and admirers, taller than me, stronger than me and you're respected. I'm mostly known as your "bodyguard" or "flunky" amongst some of the students at our school and that's what made me want to be around you, why I wanted to keep living.

IAN: ...

CLAYTON: But something that caught me was that you were jealous of me.

Ian was taken aback.

IAN: How did you...?

CLAYTON: I'll explain that later, but when I heard that, I was shocked. I used to think there was nothing interesting about me, but you've always envied me. You said I had a normal lifestyle, didn't need to worry about threats and had both of my parents. To be honest, I didn't know that I would be of your envy.

IAN: ...

CLAYTON: But that thing that you're seeing right now? It was born from you; from your fears! You have to face it if you ever want to live and I didn't come all the way here, almost risking my life in a car crash and fighting against a horde of Fiends just so you can die now! The last thing I would want to happen is my best friend no longer being with us!

What felt previously was fear and horror that lingered in his heart was replaced by a sudden sensation of comfort. His friend truly cared about him, having risked his life to find and rescue him. This was genuine. His friend was giving him strength by love... a love that held stronger than any bond ever given. He looked over at Julie and Ashley, who gave him a reassuring smile; one that read that he was capable of facing against all of his fears and they would be with him when he did.

Seeing that he had nothing to fear or to worry about, Ian looked at Clayton, who released him under the knowledge of what he planned to do next. However, the Shadow began to grow weak by Ian's acceptance and continued to cast lightning spells around the castle.

SHADOW IAN: NOOOOOOO!

The party turned to the Shadow as its rage restarted. Tara headed back to Julie's side.

TARA: The Shadow is growing weak! We have our chance!

ASHLEY: I'll let you two have this one!

Julie nodded and casted Jack Frost over to the Shadow. As it approached, the Shadow fired lightning bolts at the Persona. Jack cleverly dodged every last bolt, much to the Shadow's irritation.

SHADOW IAN: Dammit! Stay still and die!

As Jack got closer to the Shadow, Julie proceeded to give its final command.

JULIE: Bufula!

Jack fired an ice geyser directly at the Shadow, causing frost and ice to form on parts of its body. The Shadow began to groan in agony as the spell continued to place pressure on it.

SHADOW IAN: Ugggghhh! Gyaahhh!

JULIE: Clayton!

CLAYTON: I'm already on it! Harpocrates!

Clayton pointed at the Shadow, forcing Harpocrates to fly directly at it with its hammer readied for the assault.

CLAYTON: Wild Hammer!

Harpocrates rushed in and struck the Shadow with a powerful blow from its hammer that did more damage than most of its attacks from its hammer. As the blow placed just enough pressure, the Shadow's body began to disfigure and glow in an unusual light, meaning that it was about to be defeated.

SHADOW IAN: Gah! GYAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!

As its final scream was roared, its body eventually exploded into black dust that caused the environment to tremble by its velocity.

 **Part 3: The Emperor**

The Shadow original form was welcomed back, but its blood still lingered on its face and arms. It floated back to the ground, touching the ground in a delicate manner. As a matter of fact, it didn't slant in posture or deform. It made a perfect landing. Regardless, once it landed, Ian approached it very carefully, but full of courage now that he knew how to face his Shadow.

Once he approached his Shadow, the other self looked at him with his bloody face still lingering, with the exception of its expression softening.

IAN: I've cowered from my fear of blood for as long as I can remember. When my mother died, I felt as though I should've done something differently and I will admit that I believe I was at fault. I accept you.

Hearing those words, the Shadow wavered a weak smile on its face and closed its eyes once Ian finally accepted it. Soon, it's body began to fade away into a blue light and transfigured into a different form. After its figured was changed, the light began to dim and revealed the form of a new Persona.

This Persona bore the resemblance of a man with royal blood. It carefully a masculine feature with brown skin, but was faceless. It wore a red king's robe with white fur at the edgings, black pants with black shoes. It held long and luxurious black hair with a golden crown that complimented the top of its head and carried dual longswords in its hands. Its pose was mighty and honorable, fit for the acknowledgement of a king. After accepting his fears and taking part the Shadow that was born from him, Ian's resolve awoken into the Persona, Laertes.

The Persona's body began to fade out, changing its shape into a tarot card that came floating down from where it stood. Julie, Ashley, and Tara approached Ian to see the Arcana of the card... it was the Emperor. The Arcana represented the desire to control one's surrounding and appearance, trying too hard to achieve the matter, showing that not everything can be controlled. Given all that has happened and having known Ian, Julie could claim that Ian was of the Emperor Arcana. The Card then vanished from sight, its essence forming into a black light that encircled his head. After a while, the process caused the essence to enter into his head, forcing his eyes to close shut. They reopened with a black light shining in his eyes, quickly reverting back to their natural color once the process was complete.

IAN: Laertes... This is my Persona.

As before, the party latched onto Ian with relief, especially given he could now wield a Persona.

CLAYTON: Nice! You have a Persona now!

ASHLEY: So I guess this means that you're part of the team?

JULIE: Do you feel tired?

Before he could answer, Ian fell to his knees. Clayton bended over and helped his friend back to his feet.

IAN: Y-Yeah. I feel exhausted. I would like for us to return home now.

Nodding, Julie turned to Tara.

JULIE: By the way, Ian, this is Tara. She's our support and wants to investigate behind these summonings and Fear Malady. She's a skilled priestess and mage.

TARA: 'Tis a pleasure to meet you at last.

After introductions, Julie looked over at Tara, who nodded back at her. Tara moved to an area a bit further from the party and they gathered together and waited as Tara spoke her incantation. Afterwards, the four were transported back to their homes.

 **A/N: That is the end of Act 8. We got to see that there's more to Tara's power than just support, but we won't see her use this type of power until later acts. She'll stay in her support role until a character with a support-type Persona comes. Anyway, here's something interesting about Julie... she can only summon Personas that our magical-based, whereas previous Wild Card users could summon Personas of magical and physical skills. This is oriented on the fact that Julie's main Persona, Izanami, doesn't know any physical skills, but excels at magic and wind abilities. I can't say if Atlus would intend on such a thing, but with this being my story, I decided "what the hell". Besides, I'm not claiming anything. So now we have our four official Persona users. More of the main cast will come and more fears will be faced. I've noticed also that I'm slightly drifting away from the main point of the story, so I'll just have to rework the plot a little. The characters won't be alerted by rain anymore, but it will hold its stance to the story. Also, the return of other element skills such as earth, nuclear and water returns to this story. However, water won't be in this story, but will make its appearance in Persona 3 Testament. Please review!**

* * *

 **New Summary:** The enemy is now aware of what they are doing and has changed the game a little to keep them off-balance. But Julie Amano is ensuring that her companions are ready for whatever will come next. Now the rain won't alert them of the next victim, but they must keep track of strange occurrences to know of the next victim... and uncover the demon with intends on ending the world. Also, who is this mysterious young man named Aaron and what role does he play in the fate of the world?


	9. Act 9

**Act 9: Unwilling to Submit**

 **-Velvet Room-**

One moment, Julie was being teleported back to her home, but instead, she found herself winding back up in the Velvet Room with Igor and Matthew facing her once she turned to them. However, what she also noticed was the presence of an unfamiliar young man sitting beside her, trying to avoid making eye contact with her, piquing her curiosity. The boy was taller than her, probably by six inches and carried almond-white skin with honey brown hair and sapphire blue eyes. He wore a red plaid shirt with a white t-shirt underneath and khaki cargo pants. His hair fell to his neck in a messy manner and he wore black fingerless gloves. Staring down at his feet, he wore white converse sneakers.

STRANGE BOY: ...

Julie turned back to Igor, who glanced over to Matthew and nodded. Matthew responds with a nod of his own and turns back to Julie.

MATTHEW: Excuse him, but he is new to the Velvet Room and will be of assistance as well. We don't know his name and neither does he, but I decided to name him "Aaron".

Julie glanced back at "Aaron", who finally looked at her with an unemotional expression on his face: no smile, eyes unconcerned, just... emotionless. Was something wrong with him?

He turned back to Matthew, his expression changing from emotionless to irritated.

AARON: *sighs* Yeah, yeah, I know. But I'm not the reason you've summoned her here, right?

MATTHEW: Well, that is true. You only play a minor role in her summoning, so it's best to get the main point.

Aaron, seemingly satisfied with the answer, turned back down to the floor while Matthew opened the grimoire in his hands. He flipped through a few pages before stopping on the destined page of interest, turning back to Julie.

MATTHEW: You've managed to unlock a new Social Link with the Emperor Arcana, Ian de Luca. You now have the ability to summon Personas of the Emperor Arcana.

A visage of the Emperor Arcana was shown and another image of Ian was shown as well before fading away. Matthew closed the grimoire and looked back at Julie, who then remembered the question she had planned to ask.

JULIE: Oh! That reminds me! When we were fighting against Ian's Shadow, I summoned Jack Frost using the Magician Arcana and he told me that I'm not able to summon any Persona of physical prowess. He said it was related to the fact that Izanami, my main Persona, is magically-focused.

Matthew nods.

MATTHEW: That is correct. You are unique, Julie, in which you do not summon any Persona of physical prowess.

IGOR: Rather you can only summon Personas of magical capabilities, given that your Persona focuses on magical attacks. I must admit, we never had a user of the Wild Card summon a specific type of Persona, which is why you're unique. You may not have physical skills, but your magic will help you.

The answer was given. Julie had no further questions to give, so she was bound to leave the conversation as it was. But the lingering question that Julie seemed to be unable of ridding from her conscious led her gaze to be directed at Aaron, who was making certainty that their eyes would not make any contact. Why was this young man trying to avoid eye contact with her? Who was he, anyway?

Regardless, all of her questions were answered and it seemed that Aaron wasn't interested in having conversation with her, so she didn't feel the need to push the topic further. She stood from the seat and left from the party to the party to return to her world. After all that has happened, defeating Ian's Shadow and the process it took to reach him, all that was in mind was a good rest.

 **-August 23, 2010: Monday: School-**

 **-Early Morning-**

ASHLEY: Hey, Julie!

Julie turned around by the sound of her name, watching as Ashley rushed over to her. As the goth watched her friend approach her, she took time to notice the shoes she wore. Most of the girls at school wore either converse shoes, high-tops, or slippers that were flat or two-inched, but Ashley was wearing four-inch boots, something that she didn't notice or didn't think her friend would wear.

By the time Ashley reached her, Julie quickly took her attention to her choice of footware.

JULIE: What's with the boots?

Ashley looked down at her boots and back at Julie.

ASHLEY: Oh, these? I've always worn these boots to school. You haven't noticed?

Julie shook her head, slightly embarrassed by her lack of acknowledgement.

JULIE: I'm afraid so.

A playful smirk surfaced on Ashley's face.

ASHLEY: *sighs* By the way, I heard from Clayton last night. Ian's coming to school today.

As that statement was made, the atmosphere that was playful turned serious quickly. The two continued their walk to the train station as they walked down the neighborhood. Because their school was located in the city of Minneapolis and they lived in the surburbs, the girls had to take a bus to get the train station and take the train to reach school. From then, they catched another bus that would take them to their school in seconds. Because of the hours the train could run, Julie had to wake up at around four just to catch the bus to get to the train station. At one point, she even woke up at three. The bus would bring the girls to the train station at five or somewhere around that time and the train ride to the city lasted for several minutes. Their first class didn't start until 7:45, so they had to make sure that they were never late for class.

Back to the conversation...

JULIE: Good. We need to discuss about the events regarding the night Ian was in Hofu.

ASHLEY: That we should. For some reason, it felt like my connection with my Persona was cut off. I couldn't call on Orithiyia when we were still here and the Fiends attacked us.

JULIE: And Tara-san told us that the Fiends were uncapable of attacking in our world, but several attempted to kill us.

ASHLEY: If the enemy knows we are searching for them, then they're using the shifting of our world to their advantage.

JULIE: Before we can go any further, we need to talk to Tara about this. Did Clayton reach her?

ASHLEY: When I called him this morning, he said that he went into Hofu and told Tara to meet us after school at the Callisto Mall. How did he reach her with events playing as they are is a mystery, but at least he reached her.

JULIE: Good.

 **-Riverside High School-**

 **-Morning-**

MS. THOMPSON: Okay, class, today we are going to talk about the Boston Tea Party. Now does anyone remember why the Boston Tea Party was formed?

The eager teacher awaited for a student to raise their hand, but alas, not a hand was raised. Either no one wished to answer to the question, were embarrassed that they may say something wrong, or just didn't care period. A bead of sweat fell from the side of her head, the confidence she had on her face quickly fading to uneasiness.

MS. THOMPSON: Well, allow me to tell you all. The Boston Tea Party was a political protest, started by the Sons of Liberty in Boston. The event took place in December 16, 1773. The demonstrators of the movement disguised themselves as Native Americans, in defiance of the Tea Act on May 10, 1773. The act caused a shipment of tea that was sent by the East India Company to be destroyed as chests of tea were thrown into the Boston Harbor. I guess you all know that the British government did not react too kindly to that act. Because of the Boston Tea Party, it spawned the events of the American Revolution. But what was the reason behind the Boston Tea Party? Anyone knows?

No one rose their hand.

MS. THOMPSON: Very well, I'll just pick someone. ... Clayton!

The moment his name was called, Clayton jumped and the color of his face became drained.

CLAYTON: Uh... Ummmm...

As he clustered around for answers, Julie began to feel embarrassed. For those who weren't aware, Julie was an intelligent student and scored pretty high on her tests and exams, so a question such as the reason for the Boston Tea Party was practically elementary, but there were some things that she began to see that she shouldn't have put pass Clayton.

JULIE: It was because the colonists who participated in the Tea Party heavily objected the Tea Act, which they felt was a complete violation to their rights as Englishmen to "No taxation without representation". This meant that the colonists would be taxed by their own elected representatives and not by a British parliament that were not a representative to them.

Everyone turned to Julie as she finished her answer, with Clayton's eyes widening as big as golf balls when she looked at him. They all turned back to Ms. Thompson, who was slightly taken aback, but satisfied with the answer.

MS. THOMPSON: That is correct, Ms. Amano. The colonists felt that they should be taxed by their representatives and not by another party, which was the British parliament. But Ms. Lavistor, if you do not know the answer, just say so.

Clayton nodded.

CLAYTON: O-Of course.

He then turned back to Julie with a grateful expression on his face.

CLAYTON: Thanks for the help! I would've looked like a fool.

Julie nodded and smiled back at him as he turned back to the lesson.

 **-Lunchtime-**

 **-Rooftop-**

Julie and Ashley had already arrived to the rooftop and were waiting for Clayton and Ian to arrive. Eventually, the door from the far side of them had swung open and the boys made their way over to the girls.

CLAYTON: 'Sup?

ASHLEY: Nothing. We were just waiting for you.

Julie then turned her attention over to Ian, who turned away with a flushed look on his face.

JULIE: Ian-kun, how are you?

Slightly, he turned his gaze to Julie, trying hard to hide the flush on his face. She couldn't blame him; after all, she and the rest of the group had witnessed his Shadow and saw his worst fears. They knew not only what his fears were, but what he had been hiding or withholding for so long. The moment Julie had learned about the death of his mother, she almost felt pity towards him, but hid away these feelings for she felt that he wouldn't like for the feelings to be given. Not that she was trying to mock him over the death of his mother, but she knew she couldn't push certain topics onto a person without making them comfortable enough to speak upon it.

Though Ian was still trying to adapt to all that had happened previously, she could tell that he was feeling slightly comfortable about it all.

IAN: I-I'm fine. It's just... the other night, you all...

Clayton planted his hand on his friend's shoulder, flashing a smile of reassurance.

CLAYTON: Don't worry, Ashley and I underwent the same thing. We know how that feels... except for Julie.

The moment he said that, all eyes turned on Julie, who had already suspected that suspicion would arise as to how everyone confronted their Shadows, except for her. Of course, she had the same question in mind.

JULIE: Don't look at me! I'm just as curious as you are! It's not nice to put someone on the spot, Clayton-kun!

CLAYTON: *chuckles* Sorry, sorry. But anyway, now we have Ian and I'm sure he will be beneficial.

IAN: Of course, I will. I have years of experience in martial arts. Even if Fiends won't be completely afflicted by my strikes, I can use my staff.

JULIE: Good. But remember, we still have to talk to Tara about what happened last night.

As she said that, Ashley turned over to Clayton.

ASHLEY: Which reminds me; how did you enter into Hofu? We can't call on our Personas to send us there anymore.

CLAYTON: Yeah, well, I told her before we left just for heads-up. I didn't know what was going on and I didn't want to mislead any of you guys with my theories.

ASHLEY: I have to admit, I'm surprised that you took a stand like that. That was… responsible.

CLAYTON: Well, just because I don't do too well in school doesn't mean I don't have common sense! I can be smart too… on occasion.

A sweat bead fell from Ashley's head at uneasiness from Clayton's statement.

ASHLEY: Anyway, after school, we head over to the Callisto Mall. Did you tell Tara where to meet us?

Finally, the one thing that crushed all hope that Ashley was beginning to have for Clayton was the pause in sentence and averting eyes that gazed from left to right, a nervous chuckle escaping his lips and a sweat bead that fell from his head. The rest of the group looked at him with profound disappointment lingering on their faces, sweat beads falling from their heads as their eyes were shadowed out.

ASHLEY: *sigh* We better go look for her after school. Lord knows where that poor soul may be wandering right now.

 **-At Callisto Mall-**

 **-Afterschool-**

It took some traveling, but eventually, the young priestess reached Callisto Mall. As she approached the mall, she was amazed by its tall and wide structure, almost confusing the building to be a giant. Of course, if she were to stand before a giant, she would've ran in fear, but this was a moment where she stood in awe. The times where she had left Hofu to come into Earth were done during the hours of the Fiends' roaming, so she never had the opportunity to gaze up the magnificence these buildings held, especially by how the sun gleamed from the top. It was nearly blinding, but the priestess held much familiarity with the suns' rays to be unaffected by its brilliance.

TARA: Wow! 'Tis manner of beast this be? This is a "mall"?

Come to think of it, Tara never really entered into Earth during its normal procedure, except when she sense Julie's Persona and followed her around. Even at that time, she never took the moment to seize any tour on this new world. Everything was practically foreign to her, but nonetheless, she was awestruck by all that she saw. Suddenly, she remembered her task and shook her head to retain her focus.

TARA: No! I am not here to be taken in awe over castles- … malls. I am here to meet with Grandmaster and the others to discuss with them the events of tonight!

She took a few steps to the door, pushing it open, confidence and resilience lingering through her as she charged inside. However, the moment she stepped inside, all courage and confidence that once swept the young girl like a wave was drained clear out of her system. Why? Well, it was mostly acquainted with the large number of people that were all inside one building!

In Truenia, Tara has seen large gatherings of people before, usually in attendance to the emperor's speech or for a parade, but she never expected for the likes of a building to house this large a crowd. Tara knew automatically that it had to take one wrong step for her to get lost. She looked high and low in search of her grandmaster, but alas, she was nowhere to be seen and Tara tried to keep her composure about her.

TARA: Do not worry, Tara. All you have to do is look for Grandmaster and you'll be fine. What's the worse that can happen?

Oh, how she would regret that those words fell from her mouth?

She took a step forward and a man wearing a heavy coat passed in front of her, nonchalantly stepping on her foot. She winced in pain and brought her foot up with her hands to rub it, turning over to the man, shocked that he didn't acknowledge that his carelessness hurt her foot and possibly bruised it.

TARA: He didn't even say sorry? What kind of man steps on another person and goes about their way without apologizing?

Regardless, she continued, but had to pass by various people just to manuever her way out of the crowd, though that proved difficult. Using her manners, she polited persuaded others to move so she could by; some were nice enough to oblige, but others lacked that kind of necessity. Some just shoved her as though she invading personal space, while others added a few choice of words that she was not familiar with. Once she had finally managed her way out of the crowd, she accidentally collided into a woman, falling to the ground. When she gazed back at her, she noticed that the woman was older than she was, held rosy skin, and long blonde hair that synchronized with her green eyes. She also noticed that the woman was wearing a stylish orange jacket with golden buttons and zippers that added with fine lacing... and a coffee stain that was located on the lower part of her jacket.

Astonished, the woman gazed back down at Tara with furious eyes and all Tara felt was sympathy. She didn't mean to ruin her jacket and got up to explain herself..

TARA: I am so sorry, ma'am! I didn't mean to-.

ANGRY WOMAN: My jacket! Look what you done! You caused me to spill coffee on my jacket!

TARA: I am truly sorry! I wasn't paying attention!

ANGRY WOMAN: Yeah! Well, thanks to your ignorance, my jacket is ruined! This jacket costed $300!

What felt like symapthy was replaced with curiosity. Tara may have been new to Earth, but the term "dollars" was not uncommon in Truenia, even though the population used coins as currency. She was very familiar with counting money and found the practice of counting coins to be similar in counting dollars rather than change. That was the way Truenians counted money. So when she heard the proclaiming to have spent $300 on a new jacket, she felt the urge to speak out of curiosity.

TARA: You paid $300 for a jacket?

ANGRY WOMAN: Yes, you runt! $300! How I am going to go to work now?

TARA: Ma'am, are you alright? You're not sick are you?

ANGRY WOMAN: Sick?! What do you mean "am I sick"?

TARA: Well, where I come from, anyone who spends such an unnecessarily amount of money on clothing rather than domestic materials are considered to be stricken with a mental illness.

If only Tara knew how the woman took that statement. The moment the word "mental illness" escaped from her mouth, the woman's anger grew greater than before and she glared at Tara.

ANGRY WOMAN: Excuse me?! Are you saying that I'm psychotic for buying a jacket?!

TARA: No ma'am! There is nothing wrong with buying pleasantries such as clothing, but spending such money on clothes hints of illness or just wasting money trying to outdo others, mostly out of envy.

ANGRY WOMAN: WHAT?! Who are you tell me how to spend my money?! I can buy whatever I damn well please! I suggest you go back from where you came because this is America! A. Mer. Ri. Ca!

The woman stormed off, leaving Tara slightly confused about the ordeal.

TARA: 'Twas something I said? If so, then what? I was just offering advice.

Shaking her head, Tara continued to search for her grandmaster. After traveling for a few minutes, she was stopped by another woman, but who had a more nicer expression than the woman from earlier. The woman had silken, red hair, dazzling brown eyes, and wore red lipstick. When she smiled, she made certain that her teeth were shown, gleaming with pristine white color that almost blinded the young girl. The woman wore a blazer and skirt, colored black, and carried a purple perfume bottle in her hand that was rounded to a circle with edgings to give it the appeal of a jewel.

COSMETICS SALESWOMAN: Hello, there! My name is Wendy and I'm offering some free cosmetics and perfume for Lovely Lush! Would you like to try a sample?

The woman spoke kindly, but her very pressence started to not sit well with Tara. She shook her head and politely declined the offer.

TARA: No thank you. I'm actually looking for-.

WENDY: Okay!

Without warning, the woman brought the perfume bottle up to her face and sprayed it directly at her. Though Tara had little time to react, she reacted quick enough to close her eyes in case any of its contents were to touch her eyes. Of course, when she opened her eyes and smelled the perfume, it was strong enough to nearly choke her.

TARA: *coughs* *coughs*

WENDY: So how did you like it? Smells great, doesn't it?

TARA: It does. *coughs* But I think you sprayed too much. *coughs*

WENDY: Now, would you like to try our other perfumes?

TARA: I'm really sorry, but I must meet with a friend and I fear the time strikes quickly.

WENDY: Wonderful!

TARA: ~ _Is she even listening to me? I said "no"!~_

Suddenly, other employess of "Lovely Lush" circled around the young priestess, all carrying perfume bottles in their hands. Trapped, Tara was ambushed as each of them sprayed their perfume at her, each with a different scent the other. The smell of each scent was too strong for her lungs to take in and she found herself on her knees, practically begging for mercy by these relentless perfume ladies.

TARA: No! I need to- *coughs* *coughs*! Please! *coughs* 'Tis not a- *coughs*!

The perfume began to form a cloud around her that quickly filled her lungs, making it hard for her to speak, let alone breath. She felt herself clinging onto dear life, praying to the Creator that she will live to escape from these brutes. Finally, her prayers were answered as the cloud dissolved. She felt the need to sprint until one of the ladies grabbed her by the shoulder. She looked up in panic to see that it was Wendy, still keeping that disturbing smile on her face.

WENDY: Wait! You haven't tried out our new makeup line! Now available for free! Why don't you come in?

The woman had a surprisingly amount of strength to pull Tara into the store, closing the door behind her as the priestess underwent even more terrors.

...

IAN: Where could Tara be?

JULIE: Who knows? We have to keep finding her.

When the group arrived in the mall, they split up into pairs and went searching for Tara. Julie and Ian paired up to find the priestess while Ashley reluctantly paired with Clayton, taking the west side of the mall to search for her. Being with Julie was kind of unnerving for Ian. Though he has been alone with her once, it was where people could see them. Despite the mall being busy, most of the patrons had left, so Ian was mostly with Julie and he tried hard to hide his blush, which didn't go unnoticed by the goth.

JULIE: Are you okay? You're not sick, are you?

Slightly startled by her voice, he shook his head and tried to play off his embarrassment.

IAN: Oh! No! No, I'm fine! Thank you for asking, however.

He somehow managed to force a smile on his face, which was rewarded with a smile by Julie. However, being alone with her, he decided to just talk with her, seeing that now was an opportunity that he needed to take advantage. The only issue was collecting the words to form in a sentence for the conversation to begin.

IAN: Um... I want to thank you again for rescuing me from my Shadow. If you all hadn't been there, I don't know what would've became of me...

JULIE: You're welcome. Besides, we're friends, we should always help each other if we can.

IAN: I know, but... you and the others stood there and watched as my worst fears came to life. It's not something that I'm very vocal about, but...

Suddenly, his collection for words began to fall to pieces. Why was it so hard for him to simply thank her for rescuing him? Why couldn't he think straight? He groaned in agitation as his words fell over him and slapped his palm on his forehead. He looked back at Julie, who was still smiling, but that look of curiosity failed to leave her face, which caused Ian to blush even more.

IAN: I'm... not very good at talking with... females other than Ashley. Forgive me if I sound... obscure.

JULIE: *giggles* Trust me, you do not sound as obscure as you may believe. Just talk to me like a regular human being.

IAN: ... R-Right. Um... So... what do you expect will happen now that we have our Personas?

JULIE: Well, I've already promised Tara-san to help her investigate this case and find the being responsible for sending the previous victims into Hofu. But with the sudden change of events, that may be a bit harder than we could've anticipated. We were blessed that we managed to save you before you died.

IAN: And I am very grateful for. However, seeing that we cannot call our Personas in this world or during the hour when the world is in suspension, we only have a portal that can take us to Hofu whenever possible. However, what if the portal is located at a different location? Somewhere much further than Tara would be?

That was a good question. Julie had never thought of that significant possibility until it escaped from Ian's mouth. Is it likely that the portal leading them from Earth to Hofu will reappear at a different place? Julie knew she could not discount the likeliness, given that now, their main enemy was aware of their deeds and was doing everything in its power to keep them from ruining its plans. Julie turned back to Ian with a stern yet analytical expression worn on her face.

JULIE: It's likely that our enemy will try to place the portal in different locations. If that's so, then Tara may be located somewhere that the Fiends will be heaviest and that will probably slow her progress to us.

IAN: This is a thought, but what if we allowed Tara to live here? We've seen the conditions of Hofu and it's dangerous for her to be there, magic-user or not.

JULIE: I know. When we find Tara-san and ask her about this, we'll find her somewhere to live. But the problem is who will take her in?

Once she finished that sentence, her phone rang. She reached into her pocket, pulled her phone out and realized that Ashley was calling her.

JULIE: Ashley-san, have you and Clayton-kun found Tara-san yet?

ASHLEY: No, but we came across a woman who knew of a girl that fit our description. She was last seen heading to the block with the store Lovely Lush.

JULIE: "Lovely Lush"? Is that a new store?

ASHLEY: If it is, I haven't heard about it until now. Anyway, Clayton and I will go over as soon as possible. You and Ian meet us there; she said the corn dog stand was but a few feet away from it. Just look for a store with a pink logo header and a heart with "glittering sparkles" and you'll reach there.

JULIE: Okay. Thanks.

Julie hung up the phone and glanced back at Ian.

IAN: So what did Ashley say?

JULIE: She said a woman claimed to have seen Tara, or at least a girl of our description, heading towards a store called "Lovely Lush".

The rarity of the name must've been greater than Julie had anticipated because Ian wore a confused expression on his face.

IAN: "Lovely... Lush"?

JULIE: Ashley-san didn't know about it either. Anyway, she said the store was right by that hot dog stand and that we should look for a store with a pink logo header and "a heart with glittering sparkles".

IAN: ... The very description is enough to unsettle my nerves.

JULIE: And my stomach. But let's go.

IAN: Right.

...

It seemed as though hours had passed before Tara managed to escape from the store, pushing the door open and running as fast as she could from those crazed lunatics. She turned back once to see Wendy popping her head out from the door, winced in fear and turned back, running even faster in case the lunatic woman decided to follow in pursuit.

WENDY: Tell your friends about Lovely Lush!

Those were the words that Wendy yelled to Tara, who had a few words about "Lovely Lush", but none too pleasant that she dared to speak to others. Once she had ran a good distance from the lunatics, she stopped to catch her breath, taking a seat by the bench, which was in front of a fountain. The experience she went through was... horrendous! So many faces, so many colors, the unending scents of jasmine and various other flowers wafting in the air, rough hands pertruding on her face... it was a nightmare that Tara wouldn't be able to get out of her head.

Of course, given all they had done to her face, she felt hesitant in needing to observe her looks, carefully and slowly turning her back towards the fountain, gazing at her reflection once she looked down at the water. Her lips were heavily stained with red lipstick, cheeks plastered with artificial blush the likes which she had never seen before, black eyeliner running jagged over her eyes, and heavily blue eyeshadow under her brows. This was probably the most humiliated and undignified moment she had ever faced in her entire life.

TARA: Dear Creator, I look like one of the queen's harlequins at the masquerade ball! Father would never approved of this... nor would I.

The use of makeup was not uncommon in Truenia and Tara has seen many women embellish their faces with eyeshadow, eye-liner, and lipstick, but this was the first that she had ever seen someone use blush for their cheeks. Many women wore their faces this way for balls and banquets, or for everyday life, except for Tara. She never enjoyed the use of makeup for she felt a masterpiece to be displayed on a shelf for eyes to adore rather than being a human being.

TARA: I don't suppose I could wash this filth off my face by using the water from this fountain. 'Twould be an issue if I die?

While she was caught between two parties of what or what not to do, a lustful eye had spotted her from afar and made its way towards her.

...

Julie and Ian finally reached Ashley and Clayton in front of the "Lovely Lush" store, which was currently closed for the moment. The two noticed the "closed" sign on the window and turned back to their companions.

JULIE: I take it Tara-san is not here any longer?

Both nodded.

ASHLEY: Yes. One of the patrons told us that a girl in a green hood came sprinting out of this store and headed in that direction.

Ashley turned to her right and pointed forward, turning back to the pair. Of course, the comment "sprinting" caught their attention.

IAN: They said she was "sprinting" out of the store?

Ashley and Clayton nodded.

CLAYTON: According to some angry female patrons, Lovely Lush isn't known for... cooperation. Some were "attacked" by the perfume ladies of the store and even dragged in, being invaded with makeup and cosmetics.

ASHLEY: One woman even got a blackeye because one of the employees was too rough with the eyeshadow.

As heard as she tried to not imagine it, the very sound of it was enough to make Julie wince in pain.

JULIE: Ouch!

ASHLEY: Yeah. Some of the patrons filed complaints of aggressiveness and failure to comprehend, so the manager of the mall is closing this store... permanently.

JULIE: Good! No woman should ever undergo such... brutality.

ASHLEY: I'll say. If their makeup was as bad as some of the victims claimed, it would give me a good reason to be afraid of mirrors.

IAN: Um... girls? Aren't we getting a little... off-subject?

Julie and Ashley glanced towards Ian and realized that they were indeed getting off-subject.

JULIE: Right. Sorry. Let's find Tara.

...

This young man had spiky blonde hair with highlighted tips, azure-blue eyes, and milky-white skin. He wore a Riverside High uniform, with the addition of a football varsity jacket, hinting he was a football player. He stood pretty tall and had well-developed, meaning he worked out more than he should and took pride in his appearance. Tara first noticed his presence by sense and turned around to face him, gazing up at him with curious eyes. She had never seen him before, but his presence looming over her was certainly... unpleasant.

TARA: ... May I help you?

Without warning, he took a seat beside her, throwing an arm over her shoulder. This wasn't right.

JUSTIN: I'm Justin Nickelback! I take it you're new here?

Tara nodded, unsure whether should she trust him or not. However, regardless of where her feelings were placed with him, she couldn't help but to be alertive.

TARA: Yes.

JUSTIN: Really? You look foreign. May I ask where you from?

TARA: ...

JUSTIN: *laughs* What's wrong? You're scared of me?

TARA: ... N-No. It's just... I'm waiting for some friends.

JUSTIN: Really, now? And how long will that be?

TARA: I am uncertain, but they should be here by now.

Tara couldn't help but to notice how close Justin was getting to her... very close. So close in fact that Tara could swear that their faces were touching each other. It was then that the strong scents of jasmine that Tara was sprayed with quickly dissipated. Now she smelt a horrendous odor that emitted from Justin. It was strong enough to make her gag and scoot away from him, much to his offense.

JUSTIN: Hey, what the hell?! Why are you moving away from me?

She tried her best to give him eye contact, in which she noticed that he was livid. Was it due to her reaction to his odor?

TARA: I'm sorry, but... you have a strong odor.

JUSTIN: Oh, I do? Says the girl selling herself in this mall!

TARA: "Selling myself"? What are you talking abou-?

It was then that she remembered the heavy makeup on her face and the lurid eye contact he has been giving her ever since noticing her. He assumed that she was a courtesan. A courtesan was also not uncommon in Truenia. Women and men alike would sell themselves to men or women for pleasure in exchange of coin, mostly intimate. It was also a common insult directed at a woman who slept with more than one man, married or unmarried. Tara was not one to be easily angered, but the very fact that this boy took her for a courtesan, a woman who "gives herself" to men for money, greatly offended her.

TARA: Are you implying that I am a courtesan?!

JUSTIN: "Courtesan"?! I don't know what the hell a "courtesan" is, whore!

TARA: ... Wh-Whore?

JUSTIN: Yeah! I suggest if you want my money, you're just going to have to be a little nicer!

Stood up from the bench, grabbing her by her wrist and forcefully pulling her from the bench. The first thought that came to mind was that Justin was planning to have his way with Tara. She grabbed his hand and in desperation, tried to remove it from her wrist, much to his annoyance.

JUSTIN: Stop squirming, bitch! It will be fast, I promise!

TARA: Grr! What kind of female do you take me for?! Unhand me, this instant!

JUSTIN: Not until I'm done with you and you better not tell anyone!

TARA: Grr! Grraaahh!

Tara found herself losing a battle very easily. With no one around to help her, she felt that she should do something before the boy attempted to do anything to her. He had his back turned and was probably ignoring her restraints. A sigh escaped her lips and she released him, but use her other hand to channel her magic as her hand began to emit a green glow. However, the glow suddenly turned black and Tara's face began to scowl at the back of her captor's head as she focused her magical energy. Images had begun to set in her mind: the man stepping on her foot, the woman who berated her, the beasts that captured her in their store and forced her into experimentation, and now Justin... she gritted her teeth and her magic began to get slightly wilder. Her vision was stained in red, except for Justin. Balling her hand into a fist, she slowly brought her fist up.

 **A/N: And that is the end of Act 9. Now we all got to see Justin, the same guy who shamelessly and aggressively flirted with Julie into submission until Ian and Clayton saved her. His character will play a somewhat important role into the story. And yes, he is that much of a dog. Also, we get to see a different side of Tara that we're not used to seeing. This side of her will be explained in later chapters and will not be shown again until later chapters as well. Also, the scene in which Tara is attacked by perfume ladies and forced to wear makeup has been on my mind for the longest for comedy relief. Let me know if you found it funny or not! Review!**

 **I almost forgot! There have been two reviews regarding as to how I write my story. I will admit, this story was originally going to be written in script, but the storyteller side of me got the best of me. If the website does tell me that the way I'm writing it is unacceptable, I will reluctantly, but surely, take it down. It's written like a story, but the dialogue is written in script format. Makes it easier for readers to understand what words are being spoken by a character.**


	10. Extra Scene 1

**Extra Scene 1: Where Art Thou, Snacks**

ASHLEY: Clayton! We're supposed to be looking for Tara, not getting snacks!

The group had split into pairs the moment they arrived in the mall to search for Tara. Julie suggested going with Ian, leaving Ashley to be stuck with the one person she never wanted to be with: Clayton. The two may be friends, but they had many, many differences. This was going to be one of them.

After searching for a few minutes, Clayton thought it would be necessary to buy a snack from the vending machine since he didn't eat today. He pulled his wallet out from his pocket and looked around the inside of the machine to search for the one snack he was truly craving hunger for... which was taking an unnecessary amount of time... and an ungodly amount of Ashley's patience. She knew that Clayton often took his time when he came to certain tasks and actions, but she never thought that he was _this_ indecisive.

CLAYTON: Let's see... what do I want?

ASHLEY: Are you even listening to me?!

Clayton turned back at her with an annoyed look on his face and scoffed.

CLAYTON: Yes, I hear you! I'm just going to get a snack! Mind you, I haven't eaten today!

ASHLEY: And just how long will that be?

CLAYTON: Not much longer!

An irritated groan failed to stand withheld and Ashley approached Clayton's side as he searched for a snack of his choice.

ASHLEY: Just make it quick! Tara could be lost for all we know!

CLAYTON: Alright, Admiral Complain-and-Moan, I'm on it!

He turned back to the machine and continued scanning for an item of choice. Of course, it took another few minutes for him to decide, which was nearing its way to an hour. Clayton didn't notice it, but Ashley could see a few eyes lingering over their way in question of why they were still present at the vending machine. For all she knew, they were probably assuming that they were trying to take money out of the machine. However, it was likely that they assumed the two were mentally challenged and didn't know how to work a vending machine and were probably too shame to try and help. She didn't know which one was worse: the possibility that people took them as crooks or the possibility that people thought of them as mentally challenged. A sweat bead fell from her head with each theory circling through her mind. She looked at the time on her phone and noticed that it had been over 45 minutes and Clayton still had not decided on what to buy.

Ashley's line of patience was wearing really thin.

ASHLEY: Oh for the love of... Just go for the Jeeto's so we can leave!

Suddenly, Clayton turned his head over to Ashley, which caught her attention, but most at how he looked. There was no emotion in his eyes, his lips failed to tremble or quiver, and the only thing Ashley heard from him was him breathing through his nostrils. This sudden silence was unusual and, for once, it made Ashley very nervous. She couldn't help but to feel a slight sense of uneasiness by this momentary silence and she felt the need to force him to say something just to keep her calm.

CLAYTON: ... Good idea, Ash! I'll just get some Jeeto's!

A smile quickly surfaced on his face and he put his dollar in the slot. Given what happened, Ashley could just tear all her hair from her head. She really had to tell him to get something for him to make up his mind? Regardless, she was relieved that she wouldn't have to wait an hour for him to make a choice.

Once the machine accepted his dollar, Clayton punched in the numbers and waited as his bag of chips slowly come forth to fall into the slot. However, the machine eventually stopped and his chips were still in the same place as they were before; they were stuck. Clayton's first reaction was astonishment.

CLAYTON: What?! Are you kidding me?!

The expression that Ashley gave did not match Clayton's as she showed casualty instead of astonishment.

ASHLEY: Hmm. So much for your chips.

Regardless if it was her intention, her apathetic words did not soothe Clayton at all. He began pounding the machine glass with his fist in anger.

CLAYTON: Aww! Come on! I'm hungry! How could my chips get stuck now?!

ASHLEY: Don't worry, we'll just get one of the mall security to open the machine and get your chips.

Clayton stopped banging the machine and quickly turned his head to her, shaking it violently.

CLAYTON: No way! That'll take up too much time! I could just get my chips out!

Quite naturally, Ashley visibly opined the notion.

ASHLEY: Won't that get us into trouble?! Besides, one of the mall security will unlock the machine door and grab your chips! We just need to find one!

CLAYTON: But there isn't one anywhere! They're probably further off from where we are!

ASHLEY: And getting the chips out by force is going help? What about the security cameras?!

CLAYTON: Bah! Those cameras don't work! The mall's manager is planning on getting some new ones, but they won't come in today!

ASHLEY: What makes you so cert-? Wait! Never mind! I give up! If you want to get your chips yourself, do it! I'm not going to waste my breath!

Ashley knew this argument was not going to get them anywhere closer than where she had planned, so just to save time, and control for her sake, she relented, much to his delight.

CLAYTON: Okay. I'm going to try and tackle the machine! My chips will probably fall from the slot by the impact!

A curious expression wore on Ashley's face as one brow stood higher than the other.

ASHLEY: Clayton, will that even work?

CLAYTON: Well, it's worth a try. Besides, I'm not going to destroy the machine.

ASHLEY: Trust me, you wouldn't be able to rock it if you tried.

After quickly scowling her, Clayton stretched out his muscles and cracked a few knuckles. He then began to jog backwards, seemingly gathering his strength as he rolled his shoulders around, pacing in a circle as he jogged. Ashley decided to move out the way and watch, given that she was apathetically anxious to see Clayton try and become victor in this battle. He stopped pacing and took a deep breath; then he got into a running man stance; hands on the ground with arms supporting his body and one knee on the ground while the other leg stretched further from it. He brought his head to the floor and looked back at the machine, turning back to Ashley, who had an unimpressed expression on her face.

His eyes reverted back to the machine. All at once, he breathed in, got up from his stance and charged at full speed to the machine shoulder-first. He charged at near blinding speed, which Ashley knew without a doubt he possessed given he was once a member of the track team until his grades forced him to quit. Once he came in contact with the machine, the force of the glass proved to be not as weak as he would've liked to think. The structure of the glass was so strong in fact that when Clayton came in contact with the glass with his shoulder, he bounced back to the ground on his back... and pretty hard. Clayton's charging attack caused the machine to rock gently, though the rock was so delicate that it would take a highly observant individual to notice. As he struggled to get up, Ashley approached him, now wavering an amused smile on her face.

ASHLEY: Well, I was wrong about one thing; you actually managed to rock it by a centimeter.

Her smile grew slightly wider while Clayton looked at her with an annoyed expression on his face.

CLAYTON: Oh, hahaha! Very funny! Now help me up! I landed too hard on my ass!

He extended his hand to her and she grabbed it, pulling him up from the ground. He wiped off some of the dust and dirt that tattered his clothing till he looked as clean as he looked before.

CLAYTON: Okay... that didn't work as I thought it would. Do not say anything smart!

With that said, Ashley kept her mouth closed as he continued.

CLAYTON: But I have an idea... I'm going to try and stick my hand into the machine and see if I can get my chips.

Another curious expression played on her face once he said that.

ASHLEY: And that's going to work how?

CLAYTON: Don't you watch television? Whenever someone's snack gets stuck in a vending machine, they stick their hand through the slot, grab it, and pulls it out. Simple.

ASHLEY: And that will work? What if you get your arm stuck in the machine?

CLAYTON: Pfft! Please! Like that'll happen to me.

...

Several minutes later, Ashley stood in front of the machine, an amused smile plastered on her face as she tried her best to resist from laughing. Slight giggles had escaped from her lips, but that was all that she had managed to let loose. This was probably the first in which Ashley was truly entertained. With all that has happened, Hofu, these entities known as Personas that she and her friends could summon, the change of events, and etc., Ashley was glad that she could get a good laugh out of this particular moment. It was truly an unexplained mystery that was counted for true humor.

She shook her head.

ASHLEY: Oh. Clayton. Clayton, Clayton, Clayton, Clayton. How? Just how?

Clayton's arm didn't get stuck in the machine, but _he_ was inside the machine. It all happened so quickly and rather oddly if Ashley was to be painfully honest. One moment, Clayton knelt to the ground and stuck his through the slot, and the next... he was inside the machine, his entire body pressed to the glass, head turned to the left by the glass with a look of embarrassment coloring his face.

CLAYTON: ... Th-This was a bad idea, huh?

She nods.

ASHLEY: I'm glad that you think so. Now, how are you going to get out of this?

CLAYTON: ... A-Ash?

She moved closer when he said her name with the sensation of entertainment failing to dissipate. This was the funniest thing she had ever seen in her entire life and she couldn't help but to act a little... playful.

ASHLEY: Yes, Clayton?

His embarrassment colored his voice as hesitancy restricted him from actually speaking to her. However, he managed to collect a few words, but all were quite silent in emotion as the feeling of humiliation made effort in restricting any tone of emotion from his voice. Ashley never thought that Clayton would feel this embarrassed.

CLAYTON: ... Can you... find one of mall security and... ask them to let me out... please?

ASHLEY: Really? But I thought you could handle this yourself?

CLAYTON: ... I was wrong. So very, very wrong.

ASHLEY: So is this your final answer?

CLAYTON: ... Y-Yes. Also, don't tell anyone about this.

ASHLEY: Oh I won't.

Before Clayton could breath a sigh of relief, Ashley pulled out her phone and shot a picture of Clayton, quickly going to her messages, much to Clayton's horror.

CLAYTON: A-Ash...? What are you doing...?

ASHLEY: Just sending this photo to Julie and Ian. I wonder how they're going take this?

CLAYTON: Wh-What?! N-No! Seriously, Ash, don't send that picture!

ASHLEY: Too late! Now let me go find mall security and get you out of there!

After sending the message, Ashley put her phone back in her pocket and rushed over to search for mall security, quickly flashing a snarky smile at him, leaving Clayton inside the vending machine. Thankfully, there were no patrons nearby to notice him, since most of them had left the area already. All Clayton could do now was wait for mall security and lament in his humiliation.

CLAYTON: *sighs* Well, at least I'll get my chips.

 **A/N: These extra scenes will be written for comedic relief after the end of some acts. This is just my way of making original comedy moments without relying on specific scenes from Persona 4. So... Clayton's brilliance didn't lead him to glory. To be honest, Clayton is a smart person, but he's not what you can call "the sharpest tool in the shed". Also, Ashley isn't as mean as you think. That was just her way of teaching him a lesson for not listening to her. She cares for Clayton and berating him just happens to be her way of showing it. Also, no, I'm not making a pairing with Ashley and Clayton. To be honest, if Ashley had to be in a relationship with Clayton, they would have to be the last people on Earth. Other than that, tell me what you think of this extra scene in your review! Stay tuned for Act 10!**

 **Plus, sorry about the last act. I need to proofread more often, it seems, because I saw so many grammar errors that I wanted to tear my hair out.**


	11. Trivia

**Trivia #1: Development on the story and Julie**

Originally, the story, Persona 3 Testament, a modified retelling to Persona 3, was going to be published first so the stories could stick with the timeline. In Persona 3 Testament, it follows behind a 2nd year student named Kano Hidetoshi, afflicted with a vision disability that leaves her blind but able to see with glasses or contacts. She is from Ontario, Canada, and practices martial arts. However, given how much I wanted to release Persona 4: Fear Itself, I've decided to work on this story and release it before Persona 3 Testament.

Before the story's release, there were several things I had planned for Julie's character before publishing. For one, Julie originally held no affiliation with Chie Satonaka and Yukiko Amagi, but I decided to give her a background with the two. Along similar lines, she was going to be Yukiko's twin sister, but I wanted to add some diversity given that the main protagonists of the Persona franchise are Japanese (excluding the American version of Persona). So I decided to make her half-British and make her cousins with Maya Amano since I had planned, at least originally, to make this story similar to Persona 1 and 2. In development, Julie was named "Jennifer" and held a Western surname to correspond with her birth in the United Kingdom. However, I wanted to give the audience some proof of her Japanese blood by giving her the "Amano" surname. She was also a brunette before I gave her black hair. The development of her Persona was probably the hardest one I ever encountered. Her original Persona was going to be Deborah from the Bible to correspond with her Justice Arcana. Another was Amaterasu, but I remembered that was Yukiko's Ultimate Persona and if the cast of Fear Itself would meet the cast of Persona 4, I had to make some changes to give their Personas diversity. So, I decided Izanami would be her Persona. Her gothic appearance was given to make her unique than the rest of the cast in which she is dressed according to common view; which is a goth. Don't worry, she doesn't wear dark makeup or anything. She was also planned to have been in Australia instead of England, but I felt it would've been better to make her British instead of Australian. Imagining her voice, I got the thought that she would sound like Jeanne from Bayonetta, but with a nicer tone.

Despite Julie's gothic appearance, she is actually pretty friendly, benevolent, and peppy. She has a sense of humor and speaks with Northern England British accent. She rarely uses slang and hardly slurs in her speech. She is fluent in English, Japanese, Spanish, and French. Her favorite colors are black and purple, though she does like pink on occasion. She despises the color yellow. Along with that, she has a strong sense of justice and believes in fairness and equality, given how rough life was for her in Inaba because she had a British accent and was mixed of Caucasian blood. She places the well-being of friends and family above all else without worry of consequences.


	12. Act 10

**Act 10: The Supernatural Hunters**

 **-Callisto Mall-**

It took all for Tara to withdraw this hidden rage she was experiencing at the moment. This young man, Justin, was treating her as if she was a dog meant to be leashed, expected to leap at his command as if she was a trained warhound. She had no doubt that was how he saw her through his eyes and the very thought of that lecherous ideal infuriated her. However, when she found herself risking exposure of her powers, she had to settle her rage so her powers wouldn't be exposed, but this brute that was man-handling her proved to be the source of her difficulty in doing so. She had to pray to the Creators that a miracle was performed so she would not have to retort the idea. The last thing she wanted to do was to hurt him, despite what he had plans to do to her.

Eventually, it seemed that her prayers were answered. Just before Justin could pull her into the corner, which was narrow and dark so that no one could see anything, a voice called out to him.

MYSTERIOUS VOICE: Hey!

Suddenly, Justin stopped and turned to his left with Tara following suit. Before her approached another young man, one with a darker expression than Justin. He had blonde hair like Justin, but his was longer than the latter, reaching to the nape of the neck and swept, and green eyes. He wore a black beanie on his head and wore a Riverside High uniform, but with the shirt buttoned open to reveal the red t-shirt he was wearing and sport punk black boots. When he reached the two, Tara found herself being overshadowed by the looming figure. His expression remained unchanged; menacing and intimidating. Tara did not know what to make of him until she felt Justin's grip on her wrist trembling slightly. She turned back to him to see the color devoid from his face, eyes averting straight to the boy in front of them, who had to be similar in height. Something that caught Tara's attention was the young man's accent. It was similar to Julie's, but rougher and deeper. Still, the young priestess couldn't help but to feel the trembling of Justin's grip as the young man approached the two. She took time to notice the anxious eye-contact the foul jock had with this stranger.

Was Justin afraid of him?

JUSTIN: B-Brenton? What are you doing here?

BRENTON: Minding my own business when I saw that you can't mind someone else's. Who is she?

Brenton turned his glance towards Tara, his menacing gaze almost frightening her until she saw something else in his eyes. The glare that usually symbolizes intimidation was met also with compassion and earnesty, one in which Tara found to be refreshing since she came into this realm. The urge to smile remained as an urge alone, for she did not know what Brenton was going to do with Justin... especially considering that he hasn't given him her name.

JUSTIN: Um... T-T-T-Tara.

He turned back to Justin.

BRENTON: Really?

JUSTIN: Really! What do I have to lie for?! And besides, just look at her! I'm not in the wrong!

BRENTON: From what I was looking at, she was resisting while you insisted, so you are in the wrong. Better yet, let me ask her.

Brenton gazed back to Tara with more sincerity in his eyes, though intimidation masqueraded the emotion.

BRENTON: Were you willing about to have sex with this idiot? If so, then I will leave you two alone, but I recommend going to a clinic afterwards.

For a moment, she was speechless, but regained her voice almost an instant. If this young man would be her timely hero to rescue her from the monster known as "Justin", she was not going to waste any time in seizing the opportunity. When she answered, she tried to hide the relief from her voice.

TARA: No. He mistook me for a courtesan because of the makeup on my face and tried to have his way with me. When I resisted, he proceeded to insult and grapple me with force.

An eyebrow was raised as Brenton turned back to Justin, whose fear was so extensive that he was forced to release Tara.

BRENTON: Is that right? You know, Justin, you're pathetic. No matter what they look like, you seem to try your way with a woman, no matter what. Haven't you ever heard of the phrase, "No means 'no'"?

JUSTIN: ... A-And? Come on, Brenton, you know that when a girl says "no"-.

BRENTON: She means "yes".

Justin gulped when Brenton interrupted him.

BRENTON: I've heard that same claim before. I don't understand why assholes such as yourself try to justify that shit. A woman is to be respected, honored, loved, not treated as some animal with worms. So if I see you harrassing another female, better believe that your ass is grass.

Eventually, Julie and the rest of the group arrived in time to see the confrontation and found Tara moving back from the two. When the party recognized that Justin was present near Tara, the following reactions were defensive. Julie turns towards Tara, who turned back to her.

TARA: Grandmaster!

JULIE: Tara-san! Are you okay?

TARA: I-I'm fine. B-But...

BRENTON: Justin was about to rape her until I stopped him.

Those words enough ignited a flame into the group. They knew enough of Justin's actions that he was to be considered a pig beyond means, but never have they thought that he made it a habit into forcing females into submission. Julie ran towards Tara in attempt to comfort her, while Ashley, Clayton, and Ian marched towards Justin with heatful glares beaming straight at him, though Clayton's hardly affected him.

CLAYTON: You what?! What kind of person tries to rape someone they don't know?!

JUSTIN: We have met! She gave me her name and everything!

ASHLEY: And that warrants for you to try and have your way with her? I oughta smack that silly look off your face right now!

IAN: Leave. Now.

With that said, Justin departed, but not before turning back to Tara and winking at her, much to her disgust. Julie noticed the wink and glared at him, which further enticed his intriguement.

JUSTIN: By the way, Jill, or whatever, you know who to call.

Did he just call her "Jill"? This bastard didn't even give Julie the courtesy to ask for her name. Before she could say anything, he tossed her his wallet, causing her to gaze at the wallet and back at him.

JUSTIN: My address is on there. Maybe you and your friend there can have some fun with me.

Never has Julie been this livid before. Not only did he continue to flirt with her after their encounter and pronounced her name incorrectly, but he had nerve enough to suggest that the two "have some fun" at his place with Tara, and possibly Ashley, included, even tossing his wallet that held his home address and everything. Once he turned away, Julie picked up the wallet and approached a far but relatively close distance to him as he continued walking.

JULIE: As if I am that desperate to lower my standards by engaging in a night of passion with you! Also, my name is Julie, not "Jill", you pompous, presumptuous ass!

With great fury, she hurled the wallet directly at the back of his head.

 **-Hudson Diner-**

CLAYTON: I didn't know how good your arm was until you socked Justin with his own wallet! You should consider joining the baseball team!

The group were sitting inside Hudson Diner, a family diner located inside the mall and made homecooked meals and was the city's favorite family diner. The group sat a table and waited for their orders to come. Ashley and Clayton sat at one side of the table while Ian, Julie, and Tara at the other, with Tara being placed in the middle. Julie found herself giggling by Clayton's recommendation and played along with his joke.

JULIE: You think? I never considered myself a great baseball player until you said something.

CLAYTON: Well, you could be the pitcher. The way you threw Justin's wallet at him, I could've sworn you threw a curveball!

JULIE: What can I say? I have a talent for curveballs!

The group shared into a cloister of laughter, except for Tara, which caused them to stop laughing and turn to her in confusion. The priestess quickly caught grasp of their confusion.

TARA: Oh! 'Twas a jest? Was I supposed to laugh?

She asked the question in a clear awkward tone of voice. The rest of the group laughed even more, much to her confusion. The makeup that Tara wore was washed off her face in the restroom by Julie and Ashley, who took time to comfort the priestess for what happened.

Julie couldn't help but to feel pity for the priestess. This was Tara's first experience into their realm and it had already started out rough; she had been insulted by a materialistic woman, violated by crazed makeup people, and almost been raped by the same jock who tried to have his way with Julie. Of course, she knew the last thing the young priestess needed was someone having pity on her. So in that respect, Julie decided to focus onto the main objective to their meeting: to discuss the events of last night.

Once everybody was settled and their meals were given, Julie proceeded with the discussion.

JULIE: Okay. We need to talk about what happened last night.

Just like that, the conversation took a serious turn.

ASHLEY: Right. Something was off last night. Normally, we could call on our Personas to summon us into Hofu, but we weren't able to last night, which was odd.

CLAYTON: Not to mention we had to fight off several Fiends without the use of our Personas and we had to rescue Ian before his Shadow killed him.

Ashley glanced towards Tara.

ASHLEY: Tara, have you found out what caused the events of last night? Will this happen more often?

Tara nods.

TARA: 'Tis likely. I've been reading a book that my grandmother had used before and found out that the events we were experiencing is known as "Black Tetris".

The name held much unfamiliarity, but the party was willing to know the meaning behind the event and what caused it.

IAN: What is this "Black Tetris"?

Before she answered, Tara removed her hood to show off her long black hair that was decorated the same way it was last night, minus the bead that tied the lower section of her hair as it fell straight without restriction.

TARA: Black Tetris is a phemonenon created by a group of cultists known as the "Legion of Five". In Marabard legend, the Legion of Five was a cult group of sorcerers who practiced the dark arts as a means of gaining more power. In daily life, they acted as normal people, but in the shadows, they held rituals where they coerced with demons, specifically on intimate levels, to gain power and wore black robes to conceal their identity. You see, the Legion of Five believed that with enough power granted, they could become more powerful than the Creator and become gods themselves. They had wished to overthrow the Creator and make the Heavens their kingdom to rule. The leader of the cult was a heretical sorcerer who believed that he was granted with the powers of the Creator to reshape the world, but his views were highly unusual. Instead of making good use for his powers, he instead turned on the Creator, believing he could reach the same level of godhood as Him. Many refused to associate with him, but there were four fools who were willing to test the limits of a god, unaware of the consequences later. One night, the cult had managed to summon a Greater Fiend and used their blood to fuel its power. In return, the Fiend granted them access to power beyond their own and they became powerful. However, with power as great as theirs, they turned on the Fiend who gave them their power, under the order of their leader. The Fiend was astonished. He had given them power beyond their wishes and they had turned on him just as quickly as they did the Creator. Of course, the Legion of Five could easily take on the Fiend, but they had forgotten that their powers came from him, so in return, he used his powers to set the power in their bloods to flames. The flames soon poured out from their veins, to their flesh, and to their skin, burning them alive. They all died, but the Fiend spared one of the cultists; a woman who had learned that she was carrying a child and asked the Fiend for mercy. In return, he spared her and allowed her to carry her child. When the Fiend left, the woman was so frightened by the events that she rushed home, grabbed one of her spellbooks and performed a time spell that not only stopped time, but made it so that anyone with special abilities could not use them. She was worried that with just enough special power, someone would probably be corrupted.

ASHLEY: But why did the woman stop time?

Tara shrugged.

TARA: I can't say. This is the Marabard legend that I am speaking from. In the Truenian legend, the woman tried to conceal the remaining power from her brethen out of fear that it may spread, but the spell backfired and shot to the sky, creating a loop in time that dispelled summoning magic, hence explaining how you all could not summon your Personas.

CLAYTON: What were their names? Or did these legends not say their names?

TARA: Of course they had names. They were people, just like you and me. However, under the Legion of Five, they used appellations, titles instead of names. Also, you must understand that there was only one woman in the cult and she was the one the Fiend spared. She was titled the "Witch of Mayhem".

ASHLEY: And what you're saying is that she created Black Tetris by concealing the powers of her deceased members as a means to disspell summoning magic?

She nods.

TARA: 'Twas a spell that was meant to eradicate the use of summoning completely. However, spells as great as the one she performed required a deal with the demon. You see, the spell she used did not work as she promised and it only caused her to stop time completely. Out of desperation, she attempted to call upon the Fiend, but remembered that calling upon him was what started the issue. Instead, she concentrated her magic onto a spell that would disspell summoning magic. It worked, but it caused an event that would not only stop time temporarily but disrupt summoning magic. Still, the use of such a power came a great cost: her humanity.

IAN: Her humanity? Do you mean physically or psychologically?

TARA: 'Twas psychological and emotional. After the birth of her child, she used her powers to create mayhem upon the world, thus relishing in her name "The Witch of Mayhem". Legend even says that she summoned Fiends as a means of invasion upon the world.

CLAYTON: But I thought she had stopped use summoning magic.

TARA: 'Tis before she lost her sanity. Once her sanity and humanity outlived their potential, she went against her previous prinicples to make claim on the world. The world of Rhayaba suffered at the hands of the Witch of Mayhem. Her reign lasted for a decade until the emperor of Truenia and empress of Jeravi sent their armies against her. In retaliation, she called upon her Fiends to attack the army; 'twas a bloody battle, but the empress and emperor fought alongside their charges. The emperor died in battle, but the empress dealt the final blow against the witch, killing her permanently, thus ending her reign. The Fiends retreated, but their existence did not cease.

Once the priestess finished, everybody looked at each other with anxious expressions. The story that was told to them was... disturbing. They never thought that the story behind Black Tetris held such gruesome and haunting details behind it.

ASHLEY: So it was the witch who created the Fiends?

Tara shook her head.

TARA: No. The Fiends existed before the witch, but resided in the underworld. You see, Fiends are the manifestations of man's worst fears. The witch used the fear of those she had terrorized as a means to summon them... and I believe the demon we're after is using the same process.

In an instant, the quiet atmosphere was replaced with astonishment.

TARA: 'Tis obvious, is it not? This demon is using Fiends to attack people and instill fear upon others. Also, he knows that we're aware of his intentions and used the spell to disrupt your abilities to summon your Personas in this realm during Black Tetris. However, I managed to counter it by summoning a vortex as a means to get from here to Hofu. Unfortunately, I know nothing of summoning, so the spell is slightly unstable and the vortex will appear in various areas from here, but I made certain it is somewhere that we are able to reach. After all, Black Tetris is but a momentary event. It will likely end each time we return back to this realm, but Fiends are now active during this time. But I will stay here to avoid being late. Last night, I had a hard time finding you all and reaching the vortex.

IAN: We were going to ask you that. Are you comfortable staying here? Where will you live?

TARA: You do not need to worry. My grandmother is from this world and has allowed me to stay with her. I told her of our situation and she says she would like to meet you all.

JULIE: Your grandmother knows about us? But does that mean she's a...?

TARA: A mage? Of course, but she has lived in this realm for most of her life. She keeps her spells a secret and owns a little shop here in the city. If you like, I will take you to her.

Before the group had managed to get up from their seats, the door far from them had opened and they all turned to see who it was. There, they spotted an unfamiliar young man carrying a bow in his hands, dressed in workout gear with a green windbreaker and a blue snapback on his head. He was an African-American young man with brown skin that was darker than Ashley's, short black hair styled in a buzzcut, and dark brown eyes that made his irises appear black altogether. Sweat fell from the corners of his face as he adjusted the strap of his gym bag to his needs.

He walked over to an empty seat by the bar and placed the bag on the seat. The woman who had taken their order stepped through the door from the kitchen to notice the young man. She smiled and walked up to him. He noticed her approaching presence and smiled as well.

WAITRESS: Hey, Devon! How was archery practice?

DEVON: Good. Coach said that he'll probably put me on the list for top recommended archers during the next time we go to a meet. How's grandpa?

The waitress gave him a sarcastic look.

WAITRESS: Boy, you know how that man is! He kept on asking 'bout you and when you was coming to work?! Lord, that Earl is somethin' else, I'll tell you! I told him, "He's at practice! How many times do I have to tell you that?!"

Devon chuckled a little.

DEVON: I told Grandpa that practice wasn't going to be long! Marvin didn't come to work today?

WAITRESS: No, baby, he didn't. Said somethin' 'bout having a cold or somethin'. Y'know, that man can lie more than a sinner in church, I tell ya! Anyway, baby, go get dressed and help your grandfather with the food before he starts cussing again!

DEVON: Oh Lord. Alright.

Devon walked around the bar to the end, pushed the door to pass through and left behind the door to the bathroom to change. The waitress, whom the party assumed to be his grandmother, was called by her Earl.

EARL: Wanda! Come here, woman! I need some help!

An irritated sigh escaped the old woman's lips as she brushed back her thick black hair and walked into the kitchen. Out of the rest of the party, Julie was probably more unfamiliar with Devon than the others, though they could only say little about him. Failing to keep her curiosity restrained, she sought to the others for the means of it being sated.

JULIE: Who was he?

CLAYTON: Devon Williams. He's a sophomore, like us, but none of us have the same class with him.

ASHLEY: He's also a member of the Archery Team at school and I hear he's pretty good in archery as well. He has won a total of five meets this year and won seven last year.

An impressed look surfaced on Julie's face.

JULIE: Wow! He's pretty skilled. But what about his parents? Where are they?

ASHLEY: His mother died when he was seven. I was told by some of my friends that it was because of a drive-by and she got caught in the crossfire of the bullets. As for his father, I can't say. From what I know, he hardly talks about his father.

IAN: Still, everyone says that he takes archery seriously and always comes to practice with a smile on his face.

CLAYTON: Well, if you're that skilled in something, why not show off a little cockiness?

The conversation ceased once Devon exited from the bathroom and walked to the kitchen, closing the door behind him. As he walked away, Julie observed him closer and couldn't help but to feel that underneath his joyful exterior lied something that he was keeping to himself. The part that he never talked about his father struck something inside of her.

 **-Downtown Minneapolis-**

 **-Herbs and Grains-**

The four followed Tara into a small store that held various plants, flowers, and herbs inside of it. On some shelves, there was bread, rice, and other nutritional food products that were meant for healthy eating or drinking. Everything in the store was designed with small stars flying across the walls and hanging from the ceiling. The floor was made from marble and the atmosphere of the store was... mystical. There was a cash register and a shelf of cakes that were perfectly designed and baked.

Tara turned back to the party, causing them to avert their glances to her.

TARA: Please wait while I get grandmother. Do not worry, she's really nice and would like to meet you.

She paced ahead and went through the purple curtains on the door. Meanwhile, Clayton leaned over to Ashley's ear.

CLAYTON: How do you think her grandmother will look? She'll probably be wrinkled with nothing but gray hair.

She jabbed him in the shoulder with her elbow.

ASHLEY: Be nice! Besides, we do not know how she'll look.

CLAYTON: Yeah. But I've seen movies like this. The older, wise woman is usually an elderly woman with a scratchy old voice, wrinkles, and gray hair.

However, Tara returned and behind her was a beautiful and healthy woman who appeared to be in her mid-thirties. She had long black hair that was worn the same way as Tara and wore a red robe with a lavender short dress and brown gladiator boots. She wore a beaded necklace around her neck and beads around her wrist that were worn the same as Tara's. She had a smile on her face as she approached the party, which immediately astonished the group. Though they would never admit it, they were actually starting to believe Clayton on the woman's appearance, but never expected for her to appear so... young. This woman was her grandmother?

TARA: Everyone, this is my grandmother, Nadina. She's a mage like myself and wishes to help us in our search for the demon. Grandmother, this is our my... friends.

Nadina turned to her granddaughter and back to the party, acknowledging their presence. The woman was taller than her grandmother and was above Ashley's height, but was no taller than Ian. She moved to them and introduced herself.

NADINA: 'Tis a pleasure to meet you all. My name is Nadina and I am indeed Tara's grandmother.

CLAYTON: Umm... If I may ask, how old are you? You look a little young to be a grandmother.

The woman giggled by his comment.

NADINA: *giggles* How very flattering! Thank you, but I do not look as young as you think. I am only 300 years old.

CLAYTON: Oh. Really- WHAT?!

ASHLEY: 300 years old?! But you hardly looked aged!

NADINA: 'Tis a commonality in our realm. You see, people can live up to a thousand years and more if fate precedes it so. However, to you, I guess I would be in my mid-thirties.

JULIE: But if you're 300 years old, then Tara-san, how old are you?

Everyone looked at Tara, who held a nervous grin on her face as she stepped beside her grandmother.

TARA: *nervous laughter* Well, in this realm, I am 14 years old, but in my realm... I'm 70 years old.

And after what seemed like an eternity of astonishment and shock, Tara was finally able to reset the group on their initial focus.

TARA: Anyway, Grandmother, I thought it would be nice if I were to introduce you to my friends. Since I will be staying in this realm, I wanted you to meet them.

She introduced the party to her and Nadina looked back at her granddaughter with an elated smile on her face, turning back to the party.

NADINA: I was told by my granddaughter that you all have the ability to summon Personas. 'Tis it true?

They all nodded.

NADINA: Then you must know of the danger that awaits you.

And like that, the entire atmosphere shifted as Nadina took on a serious note.

NADINA: The monster you are searching for is fueling his power by instilling fear onto others. Your Personas grants you all the strength necessary to fight the monster, but you will not win unless your true potential is shown.

IAN: Our true potential? What do you mean? Just how powerful is the demon?

Nadina fell silent before answering, causing the anxiety of the group to rise ever-so slightly, but noticeably.

NADINA: Powerful beyond the means of godhood.

The party fell in shock. Was the demon they were after that powerful? What power did it hold to make it so frightening that Nadina's speech was dire? They knew that the demon would be of great power, but never of power that they felt they were unable to handle.

CLAYTON: But we have Personas.

NADINA: But your Personas are still in a weak state.

CLAYTON: What?!

NADINA: You see, the Personas you all carry are but babes in comparison. They may be strong, but their true power and form have yet to awaken. You were able to fight against the Shadows born from you all, but you and Personas must grow stronger if you want any chance of defeating the demon. As long as your Personas are in the state they are in, you won't defeat the demon and all life as we know it will be doomed forever.

A clear wave of fear washed over the party like a wave. Nadina's words stuck to their minds as they processed all that she had said. Their Personas were still new, so their true power has not yet shown. Unless the party could strengthen the power of their Persona, the world would face possible armageddon. The thought of all life vanquishing by the power of a demon with godlike abilities was indeed a frightening one. How could four teenagers and a teenage priestess with magical powers face off against a powerful demon and rise as victors for their tales to be told? Right now, they were powerless.

However...

JULIE: Then that's what will we do.

Her voice broke everyone away from their train of thought as they thought about the likeliness of dying under a demon. Nadina's serious expression changed to one of shock as she turned to the young girl. They noticed that a smile surfaced on her face, much to their surprise. They were told about the dangers of their journey, but... she held a faithful look on her face.

TARA: Huh?

Julie closed her eyes and reopened them, a gleam so bright that the party stood in observation and wonder. There was hope in her eyes.

JULIE: We will grow stronger, search for the demon, fight against the Fiends, and save mankind from the brink of destruction. After all, we know who we are going to face and we know it won't be easy. Even if we reach the extent of our power, we may struggle, but I guarantee that we won't fall.

TARA: Grandmaster?

ASHLEY: Julie...

JULIE: I know, but we can't afford the luxury of doubt. We don't know when the demon will arrive, but we'll be prepared. Nadina, do you know?

As her name was called, Nadina snapped back to reality and answered the young woman.

NADINA: I can't say, but I have an item that allows me to keep track of the coming day. However, it will be long before the demon appears.

JULIE: Then through that time, we must work together. We're not doing for recognition or self-glory. We're doing this because the fate of mankind now lies in our hands. We must assure that the fate of mankind is saved by the likes of this demon by leaping in action whereas those unlike us cannot. The events may have changed and now we hold no possible way of knowing who will be the next victim to enter into Hofu, but we cannot afford to not act. I refuse to allow my realm and everyone I know and love to perish.

As she finished her speech, the party looked at each other and turned back to her, now bearing looks of hope and resolve. Ashley approached Julie and extended her hand out, shaking hands with the other girl.

ASHLEY: You're right and I'm in. I may not think highly of myself sometimes, but I refuse to let death claim me when I can still fight!

CLAYTON: Same here! I know how it feels to lose something important, but mankind is important as well! I may not be the strongest and sometimes most courageous, but that doesn't mean I'm going to sit by and watch the world perish!

IAN: We're all standing as a team in this effort! It will be long, but we're the only ones who can enter into Hofu and fight the Fiends! We must be prepared!

JULIE: Right! Tara?

The party turned to the priestess, who turned to her grandmother. Nadina gave a gracious nod to her granddaughter, which helped to inspire hope into the priestess. Nodding at her, Tara walked over to the group and bowed before them.

TARA: 'Twould be my honor to continue my assistance in finding the demon. I'm sure my powers will be of great support on our journey!

Once everyone was set on their common goal, they huddled into a circle and placed their hands into one, although they had to explain to Tara on what they were doing.

CLAYTON: That reminds me! What do we call ourselves now that we're a team?! I've been thinking about the "Supernatural Hunters"!

ASHLEY: Bad name, but mines is no better.

Everyone else agreed with Clayton's suggestion, the acclaim the name gathered bringing a warm smile to his face. Then Ashley turned to Julie.

ASHLEY: Also, no team can operate without a leader, so I recommend that you be our leader?

Julie looked back at Ashley with a surprised expression and glanced over to Ian, Clayton, and Tara, noticing the approval on their faces.

JULIE: You want me as leader?

ASHLEY: Well, you have given us hope and have been pulling the strings ever since all of this happened. We feel it be only right that you're the leader of the group.

JULIE: Then... I accept.

The group dipped their hands down and lifted them high into the air, shouting with courage as they become a team: the Supernatural Hunters.

 **A/N: That is the end of Act 10. Now the Supernatural Hunters have risen, but there will be more allies to come. If you're wondering about Brenton and Devon, they will be added to the group as well along with a female student. Tara has joined and her Persona will be received later in the chapter. Apart from the main story, I will be adding trivia pages to keep you guys informed about certain elements of the story, characters, setting, and history. Plus, there will be extra scenes! Review!**


	13. Trivia 2

**Trivia #2: Jobs, Afterschool Activities, and Romance**

I've decided to add occupations for the characters in this story to give it a more dimensional stance rather than just going to school, hanging out, practicing, and entering into Hofu. If this were a game, the player would have to work out their schedules between jobs, training, and investigation to a suitable need as well as flex out the jobs that some of the party has because they will not always show up for training because of their job or afterschool activity. The reason I would add this would be so the player can focus in on scheduling. Not that this type of system will be in this story, but if I could make this story into an actual game, I would add this.

Anyway, the entire cast have jobs or afterschool activities to attend. Ashley is on the Figure-Skating Team and works at a department store called "GroupBuy", Ian works with his father in tending business to the mafia and is on the Martial Arts Team, Clayton is a manager to the Boys Soccer Team and works at a restaurant called "Holiday Feast". Tara's occupation is currently unknown, but she doesn't work for her grandmother, Nadina, because she can operate the store without assistance. She will be going to school with the rest of the cast, but she will be a freshman since she is younger than them. If this was a game, Julie would join either the Volleyball Team, Figure-Skating Team, Dance Team, or Photography Club and Tara would join along with her. Canonically, Julie is on the Photography Club, so Tara joins as well. I haven't figured out her occupation yet, but I'm thinking about her working with Clayton at Holiday Feast. Tara would work somewhere else, possibly with one of the other cast, but I haven't decided yet.

Plus, is there something special between Julie and Ian? You have to admit that Ian seems to think fondly of our heroine. But to be honest, when I was thinking about a canonical romance between Julie and one of the boys of the group, the thought of Brenton and Julie being in a relationship was pretty tempting for many reasons that will be explained once Brenton's time to shine comes. To be honest, I think I may have made Brenton one of my favorite characters and you'll see. Speaking of which, who is your favorite character of the main cast? Please comment who in your review!


	14. Act 11

**Act 11: Keeping Up Appearances**

 **-August 25, 2010: Wednesday-**

 **-Early Morning-**

 **-Amano Residence-**

Julie had just placed her uniform appareil on and was ready to start the day for school. As she grabbed her backpack, looked in the mirror to fix her ponytail, she stepped out of the door and walked down the hall, down the stairs, and to the living room to see her mother, Cathryn, sitting on the couch with a bowl of oatmeal, eyes practically glued to the television. She seemed focused onto the TV until she heard her daughter's footsteps coming from the stairs, turning over to face her. Confusion drew on Julie's face as she saw her mother before her in the living room, watching TV.

This was very unusual. It was understandable if Hanbei was still home because he usually did not leave work until after Julie went to school, but for Cathryn to be here before she could leave.

JULIE: Mum... What are you doing here? I thought you would be at work.

She shook her head.

CATHRYN: I was given a day-off, so I decided to stay home. How are you feeling this morning?

JULIE: Good. How about your morning?

Cathryn shrugged her shoulders and turned back to the television, but answered her daughter.

CATHRYN: Odd, really. I'm not used to be given leave from work, so it may take some time to adjust. I'll probably be heading back to work tomorrow, but until then, this is my day-off.

JULIE: That's nice, Mum. Well, I need to head off to school. My friends and I are going to show a new student around today.

Intrigued, Cathryn turned back to her daughter.

CATHRYN: Really? What's her name and where is she from, may I ask?

JULIE: Her name is Tara and she's from... India.

Julie almost told her mother the truth about Truenia and knew that her mother wouldn't buy it or would've thought that something was wrong with her daughter. However, it seemed that Cathryn was buying into her lie.

CATHRYN: Oh? May I ask where in India?

JULIE: Mumbai. Of course, her skin is a little lighter, but she is Indian.

In truth, Julie wanted to say that she was from the Middle East given her choice of attire, but then remembered that the Muslim religion does not allow for women to show their hair. At least not her locks. Thankfully, India allowed women to show their hair when wearing hoods, so the conception of Tara being Indian kind of held more probability than her being Middle Eastern and likely a Muslim.

CATHRYN: Well, that's good. I'm glad you're making new friends. You were so close with Yukiko and Chie that I thought that you would have a hard time.

JULIE: It wasn't too hard, Mum. Actually, they came to me instead of me coming to them. But thank you.

A warm smile surfaced on Cathryn's face. This was probably the first that she has ever seen her mother truly happy for her.

CATHRYN: I am glad to hear it. It's good to see you adapt so quickly and make new friends, dear. But I must not keep you any longer than you should be. I'm pretty sure that you need to catch the train.

JULIE: Of course. Bye, Mum.

After exchanging valedictions, Julie grabbed her school bag and rushed out of the house. However, as she stepped from the front porch, an image came to her mind, flying in almost as if in high speed. She stopped as she saw this image approach in her head. The image reached her and stopped, revealing itself to be a tarot card. The card turned around and revealed itself to be the Justice Arcana.

MYSTERIOUS VOICE: _Thou art I... and I am thou... Thou has formed a bond with the Justice Arcana._

Soon, the card vanished from sight and Julie's vision returned to normal. Was this Arcana from her mother?

 **-Riverside High School-**

 **-Morning-**

Class had not started, so everyone was free to speak with their friends as they wished. This was the perfect opportunity for Julie and her friends to converse. She was sitting at her desk as Ashley, Ian, and Clayton came towards her. She stepped out of her desk and sat on it so she wouldn't need to look up at them while talking.

ASHLEY: So how did it go with Tara, you two?

IAN: It went well. As we thought, she's a freshman, so she's in the freshmen class downstairs.

At Riverside, the grade levels were divided into floors. The freshman class were on the first floor, the sophomores were on the second floor, the juniors were on the third, and the seniors were on the fourth. It has been this way ever since the school had been built, especially considering that all classes were grade-level specific. That was just how elite and strict the school was in its own respect.

CLAYTON: Who's her homeroom teacher?

JULIE: Someone named Mrs. Kyle.

And suddenly, the color in Clayton's face was devoid. Confused, she turned to ask Ian about Clayton's issue until she noticed that he had his head down. Quite naturally, Ashley shared Julie's confusion.

ASHLEY: What's wrong with that? Is Mrs. Kyle a mean teacher or something?

The look she received back from Clayton could only be described in pure astonishment. She never had Mrs. Kyle as her teacher before, but didn't deny hearing nightmare rumors about her character. However, she couldn't say if the teacher was as mean as the students were ravaging her to be, but Clayton's expression was enough to give her some affirmation to the woman.

CLAYTON: She is MORE than mean! That woman is practically the devil in fresh imitation! You will not believe the amount of hell I went through with her in my freshman year! I feel bad for Tara!

Julie turned to Ian.

JULIE: Do you know her, Ian-kun?

Slowly, Ian brought his head from the ground and locked an anxious gaze at Julie. He nodded.

IAN: It is true. She was the strictest and harshest teacher in our freshman year. Ashley was spared the same fate. She will even give you an F if she doesn't like you!

CLAYTON: Which was something I got WAY too many times!

ASHLEY: Well, she is her homeroom teacher only, right? Does she have her for any other classes?

Julie shook her head.

JULIE: No. When I looked at her schedule, Mrs. Kyle was only listed for homeroom.

Relief swam over Clayton's face.

CLAYTON: Oh thank God! I was worried that- Wait. What did you say?

And what seemed like relief quickly switched over to confusion. Clayton gazed at Julie with a confused expression on his face, equaling in with her own. She shrugged her shoulders by the lack of knowing the issue.

JULIE: What did I say?

CLAYTON: It sounded like you just said "schedule".

JULIE: I did. Why?

CLAYTON: That's not the correct way to pronounce it. It's pronounced "schedule", not "schedule".

You see, the British tend to pronounce their words a little differently than the Americans. For example, how Americans say "charade" by giving the second "a" more tune, the British say "charade" by tuning down the tone of that second "a". In this case, what Julie said was "schedule", which silenced the "s" in the word. The term that Clayton and many other Americans use is "schedule", which adds in the "s" instead of silencing it.

JULIE: That's how the British pronounce it, Clayton. We say "schedule".

CLAYTON: But it sounds so wrong. You competely silenced the "s" in the word!

JULIE: Well, the "s" is silent in British dialect. It's not uncommon. Plus, I'm not a native American, so I am free to pronounce my words however I was raised to pronounce them.

At this point, Ashley and Ian were spectactors in this little battle of words, which surprised the two of them considering Clayton's academic scores.

CLAYTON: Well I am and, not trying to be racist or anything, but you're butchering our language!

JULIE: The British speak English too, Clayton-kun! As a matter of fact, the English language originated from the British!

CLAYTON: I know that! Do you think I'm stupid or something?!

JULIE: Actually...

CLAYTON: Never mind, don't answer! But here in America, we pronounce our words the right way!

JULIE: So does the British!

CLAYTON: Butchering is not pronouncing the right way!

JULIE: Butchering?!

Laughter began to erupt as giggles from Julie and Clayton started to bear sound, indicating that the heated debate between them was nothing more than playful banter. Eventually, Ian and Ashley started to giggle too.

JULIE: We don't butcher our language! And you're the last to talk in regards of education!

CLAYTON: H-Hey! I'm good at some subjects, especially English, where we learn to say "schedule"! Now say it!

JULIE: Schedule!

CLAYTON: Schedule!

JULIE: Schedule!

CLAYTON: Schedule!

JULIE: Schedule!

CLAYTON: SCHE-DULE!

JULIE: SCHE-DULE!

They were head-to-head as the banter continued, their smiles growing bigger as the amusement failed to cease in its growth. However, things didn't get real funny until Clayton said something completely out of subject.

CLAYTON: I need some gas money!

The four bursted into laughter and Julie moved away from Clayton.

JULIE: *laughs* Gas money?!

CLAYTON: Yes, woman! I need some gas money!

JULIE: And what makes you think that I have gas money?! I don't even own a car!

CLAYTON: And?! I need's me some gas money!

JULIE: I don't have any for you!

Next, Clayton charged towards Julie and holsted her on his shoulder, causing the group to erupt in more laughter. Eventually, their banter was recognized by the other students and everybody in class was joining in on the laugh.

JULIE: *laughs* Wait! I'm wearing a skirt!

CLAYTON: Rrraagghh!

Suddenly, he began to spin in a circle with Julie still in his hold. So weak were Ashley and Ian from their laughter that the two fell to their knees on the floor. Practically everyone in class was weak by the display. This weakness began to come on Clayton as he stopped spinning and put Julie down. Of course, Julie was weak in her knees and fell over on Clayton, who was on his back on the floor, laughing.

The laughter continued until Ms. Thompson arrived with a confused look on her face.

MS. THOMPSON: May I ask what is so funny?

Hearing her voice, everybody quickly regained their composure and rushed to take their seats, gazing up at the teacher with innocent looks. She was unsure on what to think, but knew it wasn't anything scandalous and didn't feel like pressing the matter. So she resumed to teaching the class.

 **-Lunchtime-**

 **-Rooftop-**

The five gathered at the rooftop once lunch had commenced. Julie had found Tara and brought her with them so they could talk and eat lunch. It was a sunny day and the sun had shone bright, though the cold breeze of August blew fervently. Tara was dressed with a with black hoodie, gray skirt, black stockings, and gray slippers. As one would naturally assume, Tara wore her hood on her head with two locks of her hair falling out.

Clayton looked at her with a confused expression as he removed the lid on his ramen noodle cup.

CLAYTON: Tara, why do you always have to wear a hood on your head? Is it a part of your culture?

As Tara removed the lid on the lunch box that Julie had gave her, she glanced at Clayton and nodded.

TARA: Why of course. In Truenia, girls wear hoods or turbans to signify that their are pure, virtuous, and innocent or as the people in this realm will say, it shows that I'm still a virgin. It's similar to the practice of the Amish and Muslim religion in this world, except that we show some hair. Of course, the more dedicated women shave their heads.

ASHLEY: Some shave their heads just to prove that they've never had sex?!

TARA: Yes. You see, 'tis forbidden for a woman to bed a man before marriage. If she were to do so, then she would be considered an adulterer, or whore, depending just how active she is, or was, in her sex life. If a woman were to just stop wearing her hood altogether, then she would be given bad luck, specifically if her hair is not tied up.

ASHLEY: And you believe that?

TARA: Of course and I am not the only one! You all remember the torture I went through at that mall?! 'Twas because I removed my hood!

CLAYTON: But your hair was tied!

TARA: But my hair was still down! If I had known how bad the situation would have gotten, I would have tied my hair up! However, some girls I had known before had it much worse! Nyala wore her head down during the summer and was attacked by a pack of wolves after getting robbed by bandits! Keah, the poor girl ended up getting possessed by some demon. And Ashala... 'tis best to say that she got the bad end of a knight's blade.

Suddenly, the atmosphere grew tense as sweat beads fell from everyone's heads.

CLAYTON: Yikes. That sounds brutal.

TARA: It is.

ASHLEY: But what about when you go to sleep? You sleep with a hood on your head?

TARA: No. I wrap my hair in a bun.

ASHLEY: Oh. But anyway, we didn't come out here just to talk about a chastity hood.

Then the conversation took a different turn.

JULIE: Right. We need to discuss a battle plan for the next time we go into Hofu. Since Ian's on the team now, we have to focus on formation, specifically the front and rear line.

ASHLEY: For all we know, all of us are suited for the front line, except for Tara. Best we can tell, she doesn't have a Persona, like us, but she has magic. I think she will be suitable in providing support from the back.

Everyone turned to Tara, who nodded in response to the suggestion.

TARA: 'Tis best that I do provide support. I am good at healing and can form barriers that can protect you guys from devastating attacks, so I'm suitable for the rear.

CLAYTON: And that means the rest of us are good for front line defenses, huh?

JULIE: We got that part, but now we focus on our abilities.

After taking a bite on her riceball, she continued with her statement.

JULIE: We know that the Fiends have a specific weakness to one of our abilities and so far, we've encountered Fiends who were weak to Ashley's ice skills.

CLAYTON: Yeah, that's right. Even against my Shadow and Ian's, they were weak against her.

JULIE: Correct, but I doubt the rest will be as weak to her ice as the others. However, we need to discuss our skills. Tara-san...

Tara nods and starts her statement.

TARA: From what I witness, it seems that you all have different abilities set from each other. Ashley is skilled with ice magic and physical attacks and I also noticed during one battle that she was even able to charm one of the enemies, meaning she is good with ailment skills. I've sensed no signs of healing from her, so we won't be counting on her for healing. However, being so skilled with ice means that she is weak against fire. As for Clayton, he holds earth and physical skills, but that appears to be the only skills he has. Although, I am confident that he will learn more. Ian's Shadow displayed a high proficiency in electrical skills, so I guess that Ian is skilled with zio skills. As for Grandmaster, as she stated before, she doesn't know any physical skills, but she knows wind and several status-lowering capabilities. I believe she's good with healing too.

IAN: Zio?

TARA: Lightning spells, Ser Ian.

In Truenia, the proper way to address one's older peers is by addressing them as "Ser" or "Lady". Ser was pretty common for a male, while Lady, as the name was self-explanatory enough, was common for a female.

IAN: Lightning spells? Okay, what about my weakness and Julie's?

TARA: Well, your Shadow was weak to ice, so I guess you'll be as well. As for Grandmaster, she took a lot of damage from your Shadow's zio spell, so I believe she is weak to lightning spells as well.

This was true. Izanami herself told Julie that she was primarily weak to lightning spells, so she knew she had to be careful when it came to lightning attacks.

JULIE: Also, we don't know when the next victim will go into Hofu and now that events have changed, we can't rely on the rain to give us a hint.

ASHLEY: Yeah. Meaning until then, we better get to training more. We don't know who the next victim will be and we can't take any risks by relying on our Personas solely.

TARA: There's still the fact that we do not know on who we are facing against. The enemy we are searching for is taking many advantages against us by thwarting our efforts. I believe that if Grandmother and I keep track of current events taking place, we may be able to track the next victim. Of course, doing so may require some magic, but none that will be too drastic.

Julie turned to Tara with a look of approval.

JULIE: Good, but don't overdo it. Okay?

Tara nods.

TARA: Yes, Grandmaster.

JULIE: Good. Now let's eat our lunch before class starts. I think we wasted too much time discussing what's going to happen.

 **-Afterschool-**

 **-Soccer Field-**

Julie was now an official member of the Photography/Journalism Club and was tasked with taking pictures for the yearbook and getting the scoop on daily school activities. However, as soon as she joined the Photography/Journalism Club, Tara joined alongside her. Julie figured it would be great to give the priestess some look into Earth and its customs and it seemed that Tara was enjoying herself.

TARA: If I may ask, what is the point of this club? What are we supposed to do?

JULIE: You see, Tara-san, we are tasked with taking pictures for the school's yearbook and newspaper. Of course, we haven't been in this school for long, so we're stuck with the newspaper, which is fine with me.

TARA: You've adapted quickly to the idea of being in the newspaper portion of the club, haven't you?

JULIE: Of course. My older cousin works for a magazine company and she's always looking for new stories for the company. She even called me to tell me about the Joker case.

TARA: ... The "Joker case"? You mean the villain from the comic book, Batman?

Julie shook her head, though she dared not ask how Tara knew about Batman. She probably would've never heard the end of it.

JULIE: No, silly. There was this thing going on in Japan about a Joker curse. Apparently, whoever was cursed had their faces transformed. Some said that they looked nearly monstrous. The only way to prevent the curse was to wear a Seven Sisters' school emblem.

TARA: 'Twas an emblem that would keep them safe?

JULIE: Hey, I'm going with what Maya told me.

TARA: Oh, I do not doubt you, Grandmaster. 'Tis just unthinkable is all. To think an emblem would keep someone safe from such a curse?

JULIE: An emblem was your biggest concern?

A slight giggle escaped from Julie's lips, much to the mage's confusion.

TARA: Is something funny?

JULIE: Heheheh. It's nothing, Tara-san. And please, don't call me "Grandmaster". I know it's a custom, but I'm not worthy of such a name.

TARA: But you are! If not, what should I call you?

JULIE: Just call me "Julie".

TARA: ... Okay, Lady Julie.

Julie shrugged afterwards. "Lady" wasn't as bothersome as "Grandmaster", so she was able to allow that one to slide. She spoke with Tara over various things, to which the mage listened with full attention. As she drifted towards another sentence, she noticed that the mage had stopped moving, coming to an abrupt halt that caught her attention.

JULIE: Tara-san? Is something wrong?

Hearing her name being called, she turned towards the older girl and shook her head, pointing her finger out into the soccer field. Julie followed suit and caught onto what Tara was watching. On the field was a young man, who was running up and down on the field with a soccer ball between his feet. He was practicing.

Julie had seen him around school before and while she wasn't familiar about his person, she knew his name: Antonio Vargas. He was Hispanic and wasn't the tallest male around, but was Clayton's height. He had tanned skin and spiky black hair with brown eyes. He wore the Riverside High soccer team jersey complimented with clubbed shoes, which was a necessity in the sport of soccer. According to what Julie was told, Antonio had been playing soccer ever since he was young. From what she understands, his parents immigrated to the United States and he was born in Florida.. That was as best as her memory fared for her. She knew nothing else that she could strike upon the young man.

TARA: I believe I read something like this before on what you modern people call "the Internet". 'Tis a sport known as soccer that he is playing?

Julie nodded in response.

JULIE: Yes. He is playing soccer. Also, I heard he might be going to the tournaments, so I'll have to interview him. You go find something interesting to take a picture of.

TARA: Yes, m'lady.

Tara ran off with the camera in hand and Julie stood there with an unnerved expression on her face. Tara was a good person and she may have just been modest, but Julie felt a little... uneased by being addressed as "m'lady". However, she had to accept that it was part of Tara's culture, so she spoke nothing else of it.

She returned back to her objective and stealing an interview with Antonio Vargas of the soccer team and made a beeline towards the soccer field. The weather was pretty modest, so it was pretty comfortable to be outside. However, Julie heard that Antonio would practice on the hottest summers and coldest winters. He must've been a very driven individual to push himself against Mother Nature's wrath. As she got closer, it seemed that he had noticed her because he stopped and turned directly towards her.

ANTONIO: Hey. Aren't you the new girl? The one from Japan?

As Julie got a little more closer, she nodded her head and pulled out her notebook and pencil. She also noticed the Spanish accent he carried, which wasn't unusual given his ethnicity. Thankfully, his accent was not too heavy for him to understand.

JULIE: Correct. My name is Julie Amano and I just so happened to be a part of the Photography/Newspaper Club. I'm working on an article for the club and I heard many stories about you. You don't mind if I interview you, do you?

Antonio bent over and grabbed the soccer ball from between his feet, hoisted it under his arms as he looked back at Julie.

ANTONIO: Not at all, seniorita. What would you like to know?

It took some effort to maintain her professional composure when he agreed because she felt the need to jump for joy... literally. She started off the interview by writing down Antonio's full name, his grade level, ethnicity, and specialty. Maya taught her a lot about journalism.

She proceeded to ask him his first question.

JULIE: Okay. First question: where are you from?

She gazed back at him for his response. He flashed her a somewhat cheesy smile that hinted to her that he was not like most athletes who played for sport or recognition. At the very least, the smile he waved to her was one of genuine cockiness in skill, even if the question about his birthplace.

ANTONIO: Well, I hail from the beautiful city of Miami, Florida, but my family moved here to Minneapolis when I was seven. My mom is from Cuba, but my father is from Mexico. I'm an only child, so I've been spared the fate of siblings. Also, I'm 5'7".

Julie nodded as she wrote down everything he had said. Of course, given the length of his sentence, she had to paraphase a little.

JULIE: Good. Second question: when did you start playing soccer?

The following question prompted Antonio to flash another cheesy smile that took Julie more effort than before to not laugh at. She knew this was him being cocky, but this was far from gaining recognition. She was actually starting to like him.

ANTONIO: I started playing soccer when I was five. At the time, my family couldn't afford lessons, so I taught myself by watching matches on TV. I remember watching a lot of Olympic Games and seeing these awesome soccer matches between USA and Brazil. I studied the technique and the forms and used it whenever I played. I didn't get my first soccer ball till I was six and I got that on my birthday. There came days where my mom practically threatened me to come inside the house because I practiced so long.

JULIE: Wait. She threatened you?

An amused smile played on Julie's face, following Antonio's chuckle.

ANTONIO: Si. Mama was always a stern woman. She even grounded me by taking away my soccer privileges.

JULIE: That must've been torture.

ANTONIO: I would've taken cleaning the floorboards. Anyway, I started getting into the sport by joining a soccer team in elementary school and from there, I've been on the soccer team ever since. It's kind of a long story.

JULIE: Don't worry, I have time.

Once she said that, Antonio gave her an intrigued expression.

ANTONIO: Okay. Then where do I begin?

...

The interview last for twenty minutes and at the time, Tara had returned with the camera still in her hands to get the last of the interview. Julie found herself laughing and giggling over Antonio's remarks like a giddy child. For the most part, Antonio was an intriguing young man.

JULIE: Well, this has been very entertaining and informative. You have given me a lot of information for the newspaper. Thank you.

ANTONIO: No. Thank you. I never thought I would be interesting enough to be interviewed with. I'm not usually one for recognition, but I'm glad you talked with me.

JULIE: I'm glad too. The way your name is thrown around, you would've been mistaken for a celebrity.

Another hearty laugh was made from the two, chimed in by a completely clueless Tara, who stood in between like a mime unable to act. Julie noticed her and ceased her laughter, turning back to Antonio.

JULIE: Well, I better go and take Tara home.

ANTONIO: Okay. And hey, if you ever want to talk again, let me know. I'll be here in the soccer field.

Julie nods.

JULIE: Understood. Goodbye.

Just before Antonio could give his valedictions, everything around Julie stopped and she was welcomed once more by a speeding image that came into her head. She remembered this; this happened to her before after she talked with her mother. As the image came into full view, it revealed itself to be another tarot card and this time, it was the Chariot Arcana.

MYSTERIOUS VOICE: _Thou art I... and I am thou... Thou shall have our blessing when thou chooseth to create a Persona of the Chariot Arcana..._

The Arcana vanished from her mind and everything returned to normal.

ANTONIO: Adios!

Antonio said as he picked up his pace and walked away from the two. As they stood there, Tara drew a little closer to Julie, unsure on what had transpired.

TARA: Lady Julie, what was that about?

Julie turned back to Tara.

JULIE: I was conducting an interview with him and things transpired into a conversation. Which reminds me, did you take any pictures?

Tara nodded and showed Julie the pictures that she had taken. However, the moment she did, Julie was hit with a wave of disappointment. Everything that Tara took a picture of was either the sky, flowers, the fence, or the cars at the school building. However, there was one interesting picture of a puppy walking down the street, though it would not be intriguing enough to strike up as a source or at least be worthy on a news article. In fact, part of her wished she had Tara to record their conversation for video evidence.

JULIE: Tara-san... Next time, just accompany me when I take pictures and I'll show you how to take interesting pictures for the newspaper.

TARA: Are you saying these won't do? They're not interesting enough?

JULIE: To you maybe, but to the head editor, not quite. But let's just go home.

The two walked away from the soccer field, leaving the field vacant.

 **A/N: So... school started for me and I will admit that I have experienced the WORST writer's block of all time. Thank God this wasn't scheduled for release. Anyway, Julie gained the Justice and Chariot Arcana. I haven't decided which Personas to use for the Arcana, but they will be magical-oriented to stick with the point of Julie's Wild Card. Anyway, review and thanks for reading!**


	15. Trivia 3

**Trivia 3: Ashley, Clayton, Ian, and Tara/ The Shadows Symbolism**

The conception of Ashley Lowry, Clayton Lavistor, and Ian de Luca was also kind of hard for a few reasons.

For Ashley, I was going to make her biracial, like Julie. At the time of the story's conception, she was going to be mixed with African and Caucasian ancestry, which is in contrast to Karen (my OC for P3T), who is Afro-Asian (mixed of African and Japanese ancestry). During the conception, the characters would be facing their true selves rather than their fear and Ashley's was going to be having to accept her biraciality because she was always ridiculed for it. However, I thought that this wouldn't represent her character strongly enough, so I decided to change some things up. She was also planned to be of the Lovers Arcana and was originally a friendly and peppy kind of girl, but I decided to use that trait on Karen rather than Ashley. So I changed her Arcana to the Empress because it fitted her better and I changed her personality a little.

Second is Clayton. His character was pretty much the same in personality: friendly, a bit of a coward yet was willing to be courageous and his envy towards Ian was pretty much the same. In the original story, however, Clayton's insecurity was revolved around the fact that he could never be as good as Ian because of his weakness and his Shadow was going to be a monstrous rabbit with a black top hat and tux. The symbolism for the Shadow's true self was revolved around Hitler's perspective of the fox and rabbit, where the rabbit was weak to face against the fox and no, I am not an anti-Semitic. In this story, however, Clayton is Jewish, but he wasn't in the original story's conception.

Third is Ian. At first, Ian was not Italian, he was actually Caucasian, but his personality remained remotely the same. In the original conception, Ian's struggle was trying to live up to society's order on him and his parents expectations. Because of that, he regularly cut himself and hid his scars with long sleeves. Though I did like the idea for Ian, I thought to change some things up to make his character a bit more three dimensional. I made him Italian, the son of a Mafia leader, and a skilled practitioner in Baji Quan and Longquan, as well as bojutsu given his choice of weaponry.

The last character is Tara, who actually underwent many transformations. At first, she was a male kitsune who lived inside another world and had a story similar to Teddie's. I thought that wasn't original enough, so I decided to change some things around. I made her into a girl, but the problem was trying to make her different from the humans in the story and somewhere similar to Aigis and Teddie. At first, she was going to be a magician who lived in modern society and was of the Lovers Arcana. However, after a while, I didn't like the idea of making her into a magician, but I did like the idea of her having magic. So I used some elements of Dragon Age to construct her. The part where she spoke her spells in backwards was pretty much to reflect the type of voice I imagined her to have, which was Zatanna's (notably from Young Justice and Injustice: Gods Among Us). As for her powers, after some consideration, I've decided to give her telekinesis just so she wouldn't seem like too much of a powerful character once she gets her Persona.

As for the Shadows, I've decided to do something different for them. The true form of the Shadows usually takes the appearance of a known monster from stories and media. Ashley and Ian's Shadows took the form of vampires to correspond with the Emperor and the Empress Arcana and with their fears (vampires cannot reflect from glass and they drink blood). I do realize that while I did not describe Ashley's Shadow taking the form of a vampires, the Shadow does take this form to represent her fear of mirrors. Clayton's Shadow took the form of a poltergeist/ghost; it didn't look like because I sometimes tend to leave out key details, but Clayton's Shadow form was to represent his fear of not having a purpose (a ghost that haunts someone until their time comes). I have already planned the true forms for the Shadows of the rest of the cast, but I won't spill the beans. Just know that Devon's time will come soon, so be ready for him. Also, I will be doing a trivia for Devon and another female companion who will come shortly. Remember to read, review (if you want to), and enjoy!

 **A/N: I'll be doing some more stories later on, but I'll try to work on the ones I have. School has started back and I am getting swamped with homework, so that may take a while.**


	16. Act 12

**Act 12: Mysteries**

* * *

 **-August 29, 2010: Sunday-**

 **-Midnight-**

A loud and petrifying scream had rung through the air, piercing the very sound barrier of the atmosphere it seemed. The scream was so piercing in fact that it drove Julie straight from her bed, away from her slumber. Frantically, she searched around her room, jumping out of the bed, onto the cold floor and ventured over to the window, looking out into the rainy night sky. The rain was heavy and louder than the sound of the scream earlier.

JULIE: What?

Confusion washed over her whole face as she arched a brow. What was going on? What was that scream she heard? She knew it was a male's scream but didn't know as to whose scream it was.

JULIE: What was that scream just know? Who was it from?

With nothing but blankness floating in her mind, she felt the need to return to her slumber for the next day. As she sat in the bad, drawing the covers over her body, the warm subtlety that came with the covers did not shake her curiosity and concern in regards to the suspicious scream she heard earlier.

 **-J.J.'s Pizza Shop-**

ASHLEY: Wait! You heard a scream too?

CLAYTON: No way! I heard a scream last night as well!

IAN: Same here!

Apparently, Julie wasn't the only one who had heard the scream from last night. The group, along with Tara, had gathered at JJ's Pizza Shop simply to hang out, but given Julie's testimony, it turned to something else. The group was sharing a round pizza that was cut into fourteen slices, so naturally, the slices were small. Now there were thirteen because Clayton, as usual, took the first bite of every meal the group shared. Julie grabbed the next slice.

Ian wore a black leather jacket with khaki pants, dress shoes, and a gray long-sleeve shirt underneath.

JULIE: Isn't this a coincidence? We all heard a scream last night, but we don't know who it was from. Do you reckon anyone else heard it?

Clayton shook his head.

CLAYTON: No. I woke up my parents and asked if they heard it, but they said "no". It's odd because a scream that loud was able to wake me up and I'm a pretty deep sleeper. It didn't even alarm Rocky.

IAN: Do you believe we heard it through our Personas?

The conversation was followed with silence as the group thought about Ian's question. Could that scream truly be linked to their Personas? They all turned to Tara, who had just finished her slice. Tara wore something a little different. She wore a long green strapped-dress with a teal poncho, decorative green beads on her wrists, and black slippers. What was interesting to note was that her hair was tied up into a high ponytail.

TARA: Likely because I do not know anything about this scream you four heard. 'Tis possible that your Personas may have heard it and sent it through you, but for what reason?

With that question stated, the group fell into a moment of silence and thought. What would be the reason for the group to hear a scream in the middle of the night? As they collected the evidence piece by piece, eventually, Julie came to an understanding.

JULIE: The next victim...

Everyone turned to Julie, confused and unsure on what she said and she repeated herself again.

JULIE: The next victim... It makes perfect sense. A scream of fear; that's what the Shadows represent: fear.

The widened eyes quickly gave away that the group was starting to come to a consensus. The screams represented who the next victim will be.

ASHLEY: You're right. It does make perfect sense!

IAN: If that is true, then how will we know if that victim is taken into Hofu? How do we know if they are not in Hofu already?

Suddenly, everyone's blood ran cold until Tara spoke.

TARA: Do not worry about that. I keep track of things going on inside of Hofu and so far, it appears to be relatively quiet. But something is collecting, yet no one's inside. It may be the next victim, but whoever he is, he's not in that realm yet.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief from Tara's assurance.

CLAYTON: Thank God. I got scared for a second.

ASHLEY: It still doesn't change the fact that someone is going to be in Hofu. If someone's in danger, we need to find out who.

CLAYTON: I believe our best choice for now is to wait and see. If Tara can check on whoever is next to enter, we can rely on her to tell us and we'll be prepared.

Ashley turned to him with a slight expression of disapproval.

ASHLEY: That is true, Clayton, but what happens if we're not prepared? At best, we'll reach him a little late and fight his Shadow. At worse, we might not reach him at all and he'll die. I'm not doubting Tara's abilities, but we can't rely on her forever. We should put some effort into coordinating our team.

JULIE: Ashley-san's right. We are dealing with an enemy beyond our power and we know he's scheming dastardly deeds to thwart our efforts. We need to thwart back.

Clayton nodded at Ashley and Julie's statement. The group then turned back to Tara.

TARA: However, I have figured out how it will happen. On the night of a storm following the rain, that is when the Fiends will roam. It goes back to an old legend from Truenia, where the night of a storm after the rain, a child will be taken from his home. If I were to apply this legend to our current situation, I'd say our enemy is using the same method.

ASHLEY: So that means that if there's a storm following a stormless yet rainy day, we'll know if someone's going into Hofu.

CLAYTON: Then that scream's only a warning?

Ashley nods.

ASHLEY: That's our assumption. I don't know if it will happen again, but now that we know, or at least have some glimpse of the situation, we can act on it.

JULIE: We'll meet at the shed to train again. Remember, we cannot rely on our Personas entirely to assist us. If we do, we'll be exhausted by the time we reach him.

IAN: We should also keep track of the weather. If there's a storm following after a rainy day, we need to be prepared.

ASHLEY: Right.

The group agreed to their plans and moved to what they were supposed to talk about today. After that, the group parted ways with Clayton and Ian taking Tara home. Julie walked out of the mall and into the parking lot with her purse in tow.

JULIE: Times like these is where I really wish I had a car.

She then went on to walk down the parking lot, pass the cars, and started heading towards the bus stop ahead. As she walked down the path, she caught sight of a familiar face who was standing beside a black jeep. She moved in closer to observe further and saw that it was Devon, who was on the phone, apparently in a heated argument with someone.

Of course, curiosity killed the cat and Julie moved in further, but discreetly, to catch wind of the conversation. She couldn't hear everything, but heard just a few words and sentences that caught her attention.

DEVON: I don't care! ... Look, I said I don't care! Why are you even calling me?! I changed my number! ...

What was going on? Who was he on the phone with? She ducked behind a red sports car after he turned around, trying her best to make sure he was unaware of her presence.

DEVON: Well, you hear my voice, so goodbye! ... I said "goodbye"!

And just like that, Devon hung up the phone, rather heated if Julie were any judge. She may have not known what was going on, but the conversation between Devon and the other person on the other line sounded like an argument. The first time she had seen Devon, he was upbeat and quite energetic, so it was rather astonishing to see him lose his temper. But the real question she had was the person he was on the phone with. What were they talking about that got Devon all heated up?

It was then that fate would play their strings for her. She had tried to get up, but as she lifted her foot, she felt that it was still stuck to the ground. She looked down at her foot, trying to pull it off of the ground again, but it barely budged. Disgust swam all over her face; she stepped on gum!

JULIE: Eww! And it's fresh!

Disgust and irritation playing a key role in her emotions, she forcefully lifted her foot from the ground to see the sticky pink mess that had caught onto the bottom of her shoe. Julie's face grimaced upon noticing the sticky substance.

DEVON: Something the matter?

A voice had caught her attention and she looked up to notice Devon overshadowing her with a curious look on his face. Apparently, he didn't know that she was eavesdropping on his conversation with whoever was on the phone with him, so she could play it off.

JULIE: Nothing. I dropped my house key and found it, only to notice that I stepped on gum.

A chuckle escaped from Devon's lips as Julie brought the bottom of her shoe for him to notice the gum.

DEVON: Eww! That sucks!

Julie returned the chuckle.

JULIE: It is! There's a trash can, for God's sake!

She rose her body up, brought her foot up, and slid it back to the ground, scraping the gum from her shoe since she was too disgusted to actually touch it herself. Once she was certain that she had scraped just enough off of her shoe, she turned back to Devon, extending her hand to him.

JULIE: My name is Julie Amano, by the way. I attend Riverside High School.

Devon grabbed a hold of her hand and gave it a shake, flashing a warm smile at her.

DEVON: Word? My name is Devon Williams. I hear you're a sophomore. So am I.

A look of surprise flourished her face.

JULIE: Really? Well, it's nice to meet another sophomore. By the way, what are you doing right now?

Julie had to make sure that her question didn't seem like she was eavesdropping on the young man's conversation. Thankfully, her lie was well spoken.

DEVON: Oh. Well, I just got off the phone with… someone. I was actually on my way to practice my archery.

Confused at first, Julie took a second to notice that the boy had a quiver and bow strapped on his back, as well as a pouch of pine resin that was starting to stick out of his pockets. She gave the young man merit for being as dedicated as he was, but couldn't help but find it odd that he was practicing on a Sunday.

JULIE: You're going to practice your archery now? But practice for the archery team is only on school days.

DEVON: I know, but if I want to get as good to get into a good college, I have to practice. My grandmother hounded me for not coming to church just so I could practice.

JULIE: Really? But I thought she would be proud of your dedication.

DEVON: She is, but in her words, "not when it interferes our time with the Lord". Trust me, when you have a black grandmother as religious as mine, you'll understand.

The joke rewarded a giggle from Julie. She stopped laughing and turned to a new subject.

JULIE: By the way, I'm on the school's newspaper club. If you have time, I would like to interview you.

Devon, slightly taken aback, grinned a little before agreeing to the deal, pushing in the pine resin that was starting to fall out of his pocket. Elated, Julie reached into her purse and pulled out a pencil and a small notepad that she kept with her at all times. She even pulled out the camera she bought a while ago, hooking the strap around her neck and leaving her camera suspended in the air under her midriff.

JULIE: Okay, first question: when did you first start archery?

Devon wasted no time answering the question.

DEVON: It was about, what? Several years ago? I was eight when I started practicing, but I wasn't in any teams at the time. It was a Christmas gift that my uncle gave me so I could develop a hobby. Eventually, I started to get the hang of it and made it into a practice. The first team I got in was for my middle school.

This was rather intriguing and it started to develop some progress. Julie continued with the interview.

JULIE: Next question and now that I think about it, I should have made this the first question. Anyway, where were you born?

DEVON: I lived in Minnesota for nine years, but I was born in Atlanta, Georgia. My mama worked as a concierge for a hotel before moving down here. Once we moved here, she worked as a waitress for our family's diner. She… died when I was seven.

It was then that something caught Julie's attention. Devon mentioned much about his mother, including her death, which Julie fought sorry to hear about. However, he didn't mention his father anywhere. Normally, someone would say something about both parents, whether it be positive or negative, but Devon never mentioned it. In fact, before he told her about his mother's death, he seemed rather hesitant about it. She wondered why it was so. What happened to his mother that made Devon hesitant to speak?

JULIE: I'm sorry about your loss.

Devon flashed Julie a sad smile.

DEVON: Don't worry about it. I should be sorry for suddenly making this interview moody.

JULIE: Anyway, what about your father?

Before he spoke, Devon paused. His eyes averted to the ground before he looked up at Julie again. Was he hiding something?

DEVON: I… rather not talk about it. Let's just say that my father and I do not have a healthy relationship.

It was something that Julie could understand and respect. She did not wish to pry the young man of anything that he felt was unnecessary or too personal to discuss. It was one of the few things she had learned from Maya as to being a good journalist: never make the person you're interviewing feel uncomfortable and never push anything out of them.

JULIE: Understood. Can I ask you one final question?

Devon nodded.

DEVON: Sure.

JULIE: What would you do once you receive a scholarship? What are your plans for after you graduate?

DEVON: Oh, that's simple. I plan to receive an archery scholarship and attend school back in Atlanta. After graduation, I'll try taking part in the Olympics' archery team. Any money I win will go straight to my grandparents.

JULIE: That's commendable, Devon.

DEVON: Yeah, well, they deserve a lot for raising me after Mama passed away. Grandma said that she doesn't want me to give her money because my love is just enough. Grandpa, on the other hand, said to give him whatever amount I can give!

JULIE: *giggles* Really?

DEVON: Yep. Anyway, I should head out so I can practice.

JULIE: And I should leave too. Thanks for taking the time for an interview.

DEVON: No prob, it was nice. Hopefully, we can see each other again.

The two exchanged valedictions as Devon departed from Julie. She stood there for a while, thinking on Devon's story for a bit. While she found some of it to be quite amusing and uplifting, there were a few things that worried her. Devon didn't seem too excited about mentioning his father and he even stated that their relationship was not healthy. There was also the idea that he was going to practice his archery again. She understood dedication, but why was he going to practice at this time of day? She was not thinking badly on Devon's motives, but could not erase the fact that they were highly questionable.

JULIE: What's going on with him?

 **-Amano Residence-**

 **-Evening-**

ASHLEY: **He said that he didn't wish to talk about his father?**

Julie had arrived home about an hour ago, and came home to see only Hanbei after he had come home from work. She quickly exchanged greetings with him, followed by asking about his day and mentioning hers before she walked to her room. Once she did, she made it her first objective to speak with Ashley as soon as possible. She needed to tell her about what had happened.

JULIE: Correct. I don't know why, but… it was almost as if he was hiding something. I didn't pressure him, but still… something wasn't right.

ASHLEY: **Yeah. Something's not right and all of this happens just after we heard a scream. What do you think we should do?**

Julie had to analyze the situation first. Right now, the group had heard a scream last night and all possibilities were now open to the table. Recently, she came across Devon, who seem to be hiding something in regard of his father. Something noteworthy was his persistence in perfecting his skills in archery. She already knew that he was a skilled archer and she respected his desire for continuing to perfect his skills, but something about this was not adding up in a positive way. Just why was Devon so persistent in wanting to perfect his archery skills?

JULIE: Let's meet up tomorrow at lunch on the rooftop. We'll discuss the situation.

ASHLEY: **Understood. I'll go tell the others. By the way, would you and Tara like to come over to my house?**

Suddenly, everything that had been tensed following the discussion had became light as a feather. The serious expression that had surfaced on Julie's face was replaced with curiosity.

JULIE: Really? Why you ask?

ASHLEY: **Well, you know how Clayton and Ian practically devoured our meals last time? I would like for us to get together and cook up a meal for them. Can you cook?**

JULIE: I have some experience.

ASHLEY: **Good. We'll get Tara, do some shopping for some ingredients, and meet up at my house to cook. It'll be fun.**

Julie nodded with a smile.

JULIE: Sounds like a plan. I'll see you tomorrow.

ASHLEY: **Thanks! I'll see you tomorrow! Goodnight!**

After giving her valedictions, Ashley hung up her phone and Julie followed. She placed her phone on the dresser and looked out to the window to see that a light rain had proceeded without her knowledge. It was then that she remembered how she was able to learn when Ian would be sent to Hofu. She then felt a great wave of relief over the thought of saving him before he could end up like the CEO. That night, she had a dream of Ian and when she woke up, she felt as though she grew closer to him.

 **A/N: Happy New Years! Or late New Years... So… I'm doing this still. Well, I did say that it may take another year for me to continue. I just pray it won't take another for me to finish. Anyway, what's going on with Devon? Is he hiding something? Also, the girls will be cooking meals for the guys. Julie and Ashley have some experience in cooking, but Tara may try some of her traditions into cooking the meals. We'll see what happens next! Also, looking back at the chapter where Nadina, Tara's grandmother, is introduced, I realized that I made in error in her age. In the earth realm, Nadina is actually 75 years old, but to others, she appears to be in her mid-thirties. To be honest, she could actually pass up as Tara's mother. So I'm sorry about that error. Another error that I made (which seems to be an unending trend for me) is Tara. I stated that she has telekinesis, which is true, but she also has healing powers and can form barriers. Like I said, the scene where she fights against Shadow Ian will be explained later. Please forgive me, I am mess when it comes to explanations. Anyway, stay tuned! Also, this is a pretty short chapter, huh?**


End file.
